


The Glaive of Kings

by rolerei



Series: The Ring Bearer [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Noctis Lucis Caelum, Blind Ignis Scientia, Canon-Typical Violence, Caring Gladiolus Amicitia, Crowe Altius Lives, Cunnilingus, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret Lives, Mutual Pining, Politics, Post-Altissia (Final Fantasy XV), Prompto Argentum is a Ray of Sunshine, Reader-Insert, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:13:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 48,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25634122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rolerei/pseuds/rolerei
Summary: The Battle of Altissia had been won, but the destruction that it had wrought still lingered on. Nevertheless, you tried your best to move on to your next duty, picking up after your broken pieces along the way. All by yourself - until a certain Shield offered up his company.But will the bond that you share be strong enough in the face of a divine prophecy?Or: you tried to work together with the royal retinue to prevent Noctis' prophesied death, but your own budding feelings for Gladio had to get in the way.
Relationships: Chocobros (Final Fantasy XV) & Reader, Gladiolus Amicitia/Reader, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Past Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Reader, Past Nyx Ulric/Reader, Ravus Nox Fleuret/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Ring Bearer [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1461169
Comments: 113
Kudos: 50





	1. The Lioness

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for your patience. Finishing this fic was taking longer than I had expected, but I hope it can give you a bit of escape and reprieve from whatever negativity in your life at the moment :)
> 
> As with the previous fics in this series, the tags and rating may change in future chapters. When that happens, I will give a warning in the chapter notes.
> 
> Last but not least - there is an artwork now for [The Last Glaive](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20321962) by the wonderful [@puffbirdstudio](https://puffbirdstudio.tumblr.com/) ❤ Please go check out their works!

On your first visit after the battle, Maagho was a mess. The restaurant was still afloat, at the very least - you made sure by actually setting foot on the wooden platform. There was no candlelight, and the floor was covered with water about one centimeter deep. Here and there, old wine barrels that used to serve as tables were toppled over, and half of the liquor bottles behind the bar were missing.

You found Weskham not long after your arrival, literally picking up a broken wine glass before tossing it to a big trash bag by the bar. He straightened up upon noticing your presence and fixed the position of his monocle. A true gentleman's gesture.

"My dear Leonis, how nice of you to pay a visit," he greeted. "Unfortunately our kitchen is rather… inoperational at this moment."

You hummed and looked around, seemingly considering your options. Then you sauntered towards the bar and dropped your suit jacket on one of the remaining stools. "That's alright, I don't really need to eat. Do you happen to have some beer, though?"

Weskham stared at you with an unreadable expression. You looked back at him in silence, awaiting whatever judgement that he'd pass. At the end, he flashed a smile. It could have been sympathetic or mocking - you couldn't quite guess since he turned on his heel quickly and made his way to the back of the bar.

"I may have a few bottles still in my safer stash… ah, here we go."

After a short rummaging, he stood back up, flicked open the cap of the bottle with an opener from his pocket, and served you a dark Altissian beer. The same one that you had drunk the first time you visited the place. As you reached towards the bottle, Weskham was opening another bottle for himself.

"To the hero of Altissia," he announced while offering his beer up to you for a toast.

You chuckled in disbelief, but clinked your bottle with his anyway. "I am no hero."

"Perhaps not. But it matters little when others think of you as such." He smiled as you took a sip from your bottle.

You frowned. "What do you mean?"

Weskham's answer to your question came in the form of him holding up his phone to show you a grainy video. It depicted a woman standing on the Altar of Tidemother in a black suit. A curved dagger was in her hand and about half a dozen Imperial troops stood surrounding her. At one point, she raised her hand above her head and shouted something unintelligible before disappearing into scatters of blue light, only to reappear again slashing down at one Imperial soldier.

Once the one-minute video was over, it finally occurred to you that the woman in the video really was you.

"It has been circulating on the Internet for the past 24 hours and has gotten almost 2 million views," stated Weskham. "Everyone on Eos now wants to know who is the brave - or traitorous, depending on where they live - woman that dared to stand up to the Empire before a very angry Astral."

"That's ridiculous… I was hardly the only one fighting." You chuckled into your bottle. "Noctis was there, too. In fact, he was the one who actually beat Leviathan."

"Ah, yes. But you were the only one caught on camera." Weskham pointed out. "For all that anyone knows, it was the mighty Niflheim Empire that defeated the Hydraean and put Her back into slumber."

Your smile faded. "Why do you think the Empire let the video stay online, then? Doesn't it jeopardize the message that they want to send?"

A graceful shrug was your immediate answer. "Maybe it is part of the propaganda? Or maybe they just don't care. The High Commander did just declare mutiny, so they probably have more urgent things on their plate."

"Ah… I guess that makes sense."

As you returned to your beer, you thought of Verrum and Ravus on the run somewhere in Eos, with the Niffs hot on their trails. Until how long could they keep it up?

"Could you by chance guess what they call you online, Leonis?"

You looked up to Weskham, distracted, and saw that the older man had a very pleased grin on his expression.

"Not really. What do they call me?"

"The Lioness."

"... what?"

His grin grew into a chuckle as you furrowed your eyebrows in a mix of horror and cringe.

"Well, I think the nickname itself is quite flattering, don't you think?"

"No… no, it really isn't. How do they even come up with it without even knowing who I _really_ am?"

"Divine intervention, perhaps? Maybe it was the Tidemother herself that filmed you."

"Like hell She did."

You spent the rest of your afternoon like that, chuckling and laughing and talking with Weskham about the most ridiculous topics over a bottle of beer. It felt… nice. Took you off from the heaviness that had been dogging you since you talked with Luna that morning, amid the sounds of rolling waves.

The next day, you came back to Maagho, this time carrying an extra mop and bucket to help clean around the restaurant. Weskham rewarded you with a warm late lunch - which you helped cook by casting fire spell on the makeshift firewood stove - and stale beer. Apparently they still hadn't figured out what went wrong with the fridge.

So you came back again the next day to help - and then again in the few days that followed after that. Always arriving in the afternoon, and leaving just as the sun set.

Sometimes you caught Weskham staring at you as if he wanted to ask you something. How Luna and Noctis were doing, probably. But he never actually asked such questions out loud and you were quietly grateful for his silence.

Sometimes you wondered how he could sense which topic you didn't want to talk about, even before the topic itself rose into the conversation. Most of the time, though, you were simply glad for Weskham to have such uncanny ability. It was hard enough for you to function from one day to the next without feeling like your head was going to explode.

Maybe it really would, one of these days. The only question was when.

* * *

A couple of days after the battle of Leviathan, after having checked on Noctis and Ignis, Gladio found Lady Lunafreya in the sitting room of the Nox Fleurets’ Altissian villa. She told him that the Accordon government had allowed her to stay in the Ministerial Palace as a guest of honor, and she was to move there that very evening - alone, without the accompaniment of her Shield.

Even without Ignis’ political acumen, Gladio knew that something was off regarding the move. He tried to find you in the hope of getting an explanation, but he couldn’t. You were nowhere to be found in the villa - and he could immediately tell that it wouldn't be the only time.

He had seen you and Lady Lunafreya in the back garden from the bedroom window, in the morning that followed after the battle. The expression that you wore then was something that he recognized. Hesitation, insecurity, feeling not strong enough to do what was right… Gladio had experienced it all, too, when he rushed headlong into the depth of the cave where Gilgamesh resided.

So when he saw you slipping out quietly after lunch one day, Gladio decided to secretly follow after you. Not too close, but also not too far that he would lose sight of you on the gondola, past the rubble that blocked parts of the canal and a couple of blocks of crumbling houses. All in the name of comradery.

… But who was he lying to, really?

He liked you. Already did since he first met you in Keycatrich, and even more so now after the two of you got reunited in Altissia. He wasn’t lying when he said you looked attractive when you knelt down before Noctis, like a fabled female warrior pledging loyalty to a divine sovereign. And it took all of his self control to not just pin your intoxicated self down on the dining table that first night you spent at the Nox Fleurets’ Altissian villa.

Funnily enough, the more he got to know you, the more he realized that you were not as strong and untouchable as his first impression of you had led him to believe. Like that time he caught up to you leaning against the railing of a bridge the night before the covenant with Leviathan, looking pale and sick. And Gladio was glad to have insisted on helping because he never felt more connected to anyone else than when he sat down with you by an Altissian canal that night, waiting for a gondola.

So, who knows? Maybe he'd rekindle that connection if he followed you this time.

And maybe, if he got lucky, he'd finally had the chance to ask you out on a date.

As Gladio walked further away from the Nox Fleurets' villa, he discovered how Leviathan’s rage had destroyed many bridges and piers, making it even more difficult to navigate the City on the Sea. At one point, Gladio had to scale up a large debris that had fallen right onto a bridge connecting two canals. But even after all those obstacles, he arrived at a rather deserted plaza facing a massive lagoon. There was no other choice but to catch a gondola - and yours was already nowhere in sight.

Sighing, Gladio sat down by the edge of the canal. His legs dangled close to the water as he thought of what to do next. At one point, he sensed someone approaching him from behind. He was barely turning when a familiar voice asked, “What are you doing here?”

He couldn’t help but grin. “I thought your gondola sailed away already.”

“It did, but I decided to cut the journey short,” you replied with a shrug. “So, what did you say you were doing here again?”

“I was… following you, actually.” Gladio hesitated at first between telling you the truth or lying, but he eventually chose the former. Turning to look over one shoulder, he flashed an apologetic smile. “I can explain.”

You scoffed. “Sure you can.”

Uncrossing your arms from in front of her chest, you moved to sit next to the King's Shield at the edge of the canal. His amber eyes followed your every movement, and you couldn’t quite decide whether to feel bothered or flattered by it. Before you, wooden poles jutted out from the still water surface, signalling where a pier used to be.

"Lady Lunafreya came by earlier," he said, breaking the silence. "She was healing Noct and Specs."

“I see.”

You tried to keep your voice as even as you possibly could, all the while keeping your eyes focused on the ripples spreading out from the wooden posts. "Is she looking for me? Is that why you're here?"

“Maybe.” Gladio's eyes were fixed on the canal as he gave his answer. His voice was deep and reverberating, and you imagined it causing ripples in the water before you. “She didn’t ask me to do anything, though.”

You hummed before finally turning to face Gladio. His amber eyes locked with yours in an instance, gentle and warm despite his youth and physical stature.

For a moment, the silence between you was filled with soft sloshing of water in the canal. But the ice was eventually broken when Gladio offered, “Whatever it is that you’re searching an answer for, you don’t need to do it alone, you know?”

You let out a sigh and hugged one of your knees close to your chest. Memories of Gentiana spelling out the prophecy to you at the Disc of Cauthess were intermingled with Luna's words from a few days ago. _The King of Kings shall rid the world of the Scourge - and lose his life in exchange_.

“I don’t know if involving anyone else will help…,” you eventually admitted.

“Well, alright. You don’t need to involve me in it, then.”

Gladio shrugged before standing up to his feet, effectively distracting you from your train of glum thoughts. “If it bothers you that much, though, it’s clear that you need something to distract yourself.”

You blinked at him. “What do you mean?”

Gladio smirked and offered you a hand. “Follow me and you’ll see.”


	2. The Shield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You followed Gladio to a place that he claimed could distract you from your glum thoughts, and somehow found yourself in the ruins of Totomonstro Arena. What had he planned and what inspired him to bring you there?

The Totomonstro was among the main buildings of Altissia that was still miraculously standing. Unlike the Cathedral which needed serious repair, the arena's main damage seemed to be mostly cosmetic. Except on the back part, where a big chunk of the building seemed to have either ripped out or blown apart, leaving behind a gaping hole where the arena's monsters had escaped from.

Many years in the future, the arena would eventually be converted into a lively marketplace. However, when you entered Totomonstro with Gladio that day, the place was mostly abandoned. Empty cages and broken spectators benches were strewn about the arena, leaving behind a sense of being left behind. The center of the arena itself was wide, with an open ceiling that let you see the sky. In a lot of ways, it reminded you of the training grounds at the Kingsglaive Headquarters.

The melancholy feeling didn't last, however. Not after Gladio summoned his weapons.

Amid dashes and warps and clashing of steels, you couldn't help but notice how quick the Shield could actually move despite his huge body. You'd sidestep and think that you'd find an opening only to have an actual shield suddenly appearing in front of your face. The sounds of blades clashing resounded several times in the empty arena, and you suddenly found yourself on the defensive.

And while he was agile in his attacks, Gladio was also as unbudging as the Longwythe Peak. No matter how many warp-strikes and point-strikes that you did, he took it all in stride. A couple of minutes into the spar, you already knew that you needed a new strategy - and fast.

After one of your warps was yet again blocked, you threw your dagger up, goading Gladio into raising his shield. However, instead of reappearing where the dagger was floating, you cast a vanishing spell before ducking and sweeping your leg against his. A surprised gasp that resounded shortly after was like a victory fanfare to your ears.

But the triumphant feeling didn’t last long. Gladio dismissed both his weapons and summoned a large broadsword in their place, stabbed the weapon to the ground, and ultimately prevented a comical fall that you had so looked forward to.

"Vanishing spell, huh? That's a good trick." He grinned. "I should probably tell Noct about it on our next training."

You almost replied to Gladio's statement until you heard the sound of swinging steel in the air. Having raised your dagger in time, you managed to block the incoming blow, but lost the momentum to parry it.

"You're not short on tricks yourself," you remarked between breaths.

"Heh. Fighting dirty is one way to protect a king."

"Really? I don't think you really know what that phrase really means…"

Gladio clicked his tongue before pushing forward, forcing you to bend your knees. "Still thinking, I see? Maybe I'm being too easy on you."

You cursed and pulled back just enough to send a blast of wind from both of your open palms. Gladio's tall stature folded partly from the gusts, a freshly summoned shield propped firmly between the two of you.

You tossed your dagger after him next, closing the distance between you with a warp. But before you could lodge a hit, Gladio's broadsword came crashing down from above your head. Cursing under your breath, you raised your dagger to block the incoming blow, but the force still knocked you down pretty hard.

As your back collided against the stone floor of the arena, you couldn't help but be reminded of a similar experience back at the Disc of Cauthess. The Imperial Chancellor, Ardyn Izunia, managed to throw you down against the stone ground before he began to infect you with the Scourge and take pieces of your memories.

And Noctis was supposed to fight him - presumably to the death - in order to bring Light back to Eos.

Will Ardyn infect him with the Scourge as well? You couldn't help but wonder. Will he forget everything in his life in the moments before death claim him?

Are you really strong enough to prevent that?

The questions popped up one after another, sending your mind slowly but surely into a downward spiral. Shortly after, you noticed the warmth of the sun that fell on your face was fading. You opened your eyes and saw Gladio's face hovering nearby.

"You're still thinking," he said with a sigh. "That kind of beats the purpose of us sparring in the first place, you know."

"I can't help it," you replied automatically. "You're not giving me enough to focus on"

Gladio laughed. "Sure. I'll accept that it's my fault - but just for this one time." Then he offered you a hand to get up, similar to how he'd offered you his hand before you both headed for Totomonstro.

"Come on. I'll show you where the showers are."

* * *

The shower area was made for the monster handlers in the first place. Despite the dust and small debris strewn on the floor, it was still mostly intact. There were small cubicles for added privacy, all constructed mostly out of hardened plastic. However, only one had running warm water.

“You can take the one with warm water,” offered Gladio the first thing after the discovery.

“Of course you’d say that,” you replied with a snort. “A gentleman like you…”

“Hey, don’t make fun of how my parents raised me,” he countered, all the while tossing you a towel and a toiletry kit from seemingly out of nowhere. 

“... You know, you should let me in on that trick you and Ignis have.”

"Huh? What trick?"

"The trick where you seemingly pull out weapons and other useful things out of your ass."

His amused laugh was echoed off the walls in an instance. "The Armiger, you mean? It’s like a magical weapons cache, passed down in the line of Lucis Caelum. You have a better chance asking Noctis for an explanation."

You blinked at him in disbelief. "Is it part of the Crystal's magic?"

"Not exactly the same one as the Glaives', but yeah."

Gladio winked before heading off to his own shower cubicle, but you were too focused on the concept of the Armiger to notice the flirtiness. It was like when the Founder King granted you some powers, but without the elemancy, you realized. The Crystal granted powers to the Kings, and they in turn were free to bestow or revoke such powers on those they deemed… 

Sighing, you opened the cubicle and stepped under a running hot shower - and suddenly all the spinning thoughts in your head gradually melted away. You closed your eyes and tried to imagine that you were back in Insomnia, trying to wash away sweat and dirt and aches in your muscles after a training session at Kingsglaive Headquarters.

At one point, you opened your eyes and you remembered once again where you actually were. You turned your head instinctively, trying to pinpoint the presence of the other person behind the wall on your left.

“Hey, Gladio?”

“Hm?”

His voice was low and reverberating in the acoustics of the shower area, surprising you with how close it sounded. It took you a moment to recover and resume speaking.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what? Sparring with you?”

“Yeah.”

A sigh resounded from the other side of the wall. “Well, Noct’s been on bedrest for a few days now. Can’t ask someone who can't even leave his bed to spar, can I?”

“Oh…”

“Are you disappointed that my motivations aren’t purely selfless?”

There was a moment's pause, and you imagined Gladio grinning on the other side of the wall.

“... Please forget I ever asked.”

A hum. "Alright, if you say so."

There was a sound of a faucet being turned off, followed by the swinging of a door. Gladio was leaving, and you called out to him out of reflex, "Hey, Gladio."

"Hm?"

You noticed your heart was beating faster before asking, "Do you think… I'm strong enough?"

There was silence that stretched out for a few moments. The steam from the warm shower was beginning to float up and turn everything blurry.

"Well, why don't you beat me in the next spar and find out the answer yourself, _Lioness_?"

You heard the echo of the shower area's door swinging closed and couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

Maybe if you were going to be called that horrendous nickname with that smooth, baritone voice everyday, you'd finally learn to appreciate it.

Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know technically it's Hammerspace and not Armiger where the bros store their weapons. But at this point I already messed around with the canon so much so let's just add that as another thing to toss away in my Konmari canon.


	3. The Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You helped Prompto out as he was taking snapshots of the ruined Altissia, and unexpectedly learned something new about Gladio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song recommendation for this chapter: [Beneath Your Beautiful](https://youtu.be/bqIxCtEveG8). Thanks to [Your1upGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Your1upGirl) for the suggestion!

The rebuilding efforts in Altissia began swiftly, but proceeded rather slowly. You gradually realized this after you stopped coming to Maghoo to drink your anxieties away and instead sweating them all out during the spars with Gladio. Most of the delay was caused by logistical reasons: transporting construction supplies over waterways - especially broken ones - wasn’t exactly easy.

Another cause for the slowness had more to do with the age of the city itself. Some buildings that were damaged during Leviathan’s rage had important historical values and required more careful repair efforts. Inspections on such structures were therefore of utmost precedence. And those inspections required cameras - as well as people who could properly use them.

Or so Prompto told you. From the wording alone, though, you weren’t entirely sure he had come up with the explanation all by himself.

“So, in short: I’m following your post-battle Altissian photography route as a backup?” you offered while following Prompto down narrow steps by the water.

“Uh-huh. Sort of,” replied Prompto without turning. The steps were _very_ slippery. “Backup's probably not the most accurate, though. It's more like… moral support.”

“Moral support?” you snickered. “Do you really need to involve me for that?”

“Yeah, well, I'd usually ask Noct for things like this, but he can't get out of bed yet. And Iggy's still learning how to get around without bumping into things.”

You weren't exactly prepared to hear the kind of answer that Prompto gave. A quiet sigh escaped your lips. "How about Gladio?"

From a corner of your eye, you saw Prompto roll his bright blue eyes. "He's only interested after I said you were coming, so I told him not to come."

"What? Seriously?"

"Of course I'm serious!"

Once the both of you reached the bottom of the steps, Prompto signalled at you to follow him through a hole in the wall. You heeded him, and eventually found yourself standing right before a humongous mass of shapeless and tangled wrought irons. It took you a moment to finally realize that you were staring at what used to be the Leviathan Monument. The sight of destruction was enough to make you gasp. “Oh, damn.”

“Yep, looks pretty bad, doesn’t it?”

Hands on his hips, Prompto looked the monument up and down. “Right, I think this angle should work… perfect!”

You watched Prompto as he carefully took his bag down and took his tripod out, followed with his camera. “So, what do I do now?”

“Eh, you can… maybe talk to me?” He looked up from where he was setting up the tripod so he could grin at you. “It can get lonely sometimes behind the lens.”

“Eh, sure… I’ll try my best.”

The next several moments were mostly filled with silence, save for a couple of snaps from Prompto’s camera. You spread your gaze around. The small piazza where you were at used to be moderately busy, especially with tourists that tried to get their wished-upon paper birds into the mouth of the Tidemother's statue. It made you wonder just what happened to those paper birds after Leviathan's rage. Did they all get destroyed or washed away to the sea? Would the wishes written on them still come true?

“So, I heard you’ve been sparring with Gladio?”

You turned to Prompto, but he wasn’t looking at you. Instead, he was staring into the lens of his camera, which was tilted up towards the broken monument.

“How do you know?” you returned the question back to the blond, inadvertently looking down to the cobblestone right in front of your feet. “Did Gladio tell you?”

"Oh, sorry. Am I not supposed to know?"

Prompto looked up at you this time with wide, guilty eyes. You chuckled. “No, it’s nothing like that. I'm just curious how you knew.”

“Ah, okay, then,” he replied, all the while letting out a sincerely glad sigh. “Well, Ignis asked about it during breakfast today. I didn’t quite expect Gladio would actually tell us anything.”

“That’s smart of Ignis,” you muttered. Since that morning when you ran into Ravus in the kitchen, you had stopped getting early breakfast altogether. Perfect occasion, then, to ask around behind your back.

“And what does he think about the spars? Gladio, I mean.”

Prompto hummed and paused to adjust the height of his tripod before continuing, “He likes them quite a lot, I think. You seem to be quite a good sparring partner - as expected from a Glaive that rescued Lady Lunafreya.”

“I see. That's good.”

“Yeah, I’m glad to see him so upbeat.”

Prompto took a couple more snapshots of the monument, then he walked around with the camera and the tripod. Once he settled the tripod on a different spot, his bright blue eyes searched for yours. “You know… it may not look like it, but I think Gladio is affected by the recent battle much more than I am.”

You blinked at him, but nevertheless let Prompto continue, “After all, he’s the Shield, right? So seeing both Noct and Iggy like that… I think he may have the idea that it’s all his fault.”

“Huh. That's… good to know, I guess.”

You thought back on Gladio’s confident smile. Then to his excited grin when you caught him off guard with the vanishing spell, his baritone voice calling you _Lioness_. To think that beneath all of that strength and confidence lied the guilt and shame that you didn’t know existed… 

You shook your head and suddenly felt the need to change the subject. “How’s… ah, how are Ignis and Noctis doing, by the way? I mean, aside from everything that you've told me on the way here…"

“They’re doing well, all things considered. I mean, Iggy’s still getting used to his, um… condition.” As he stumbled with his words, you noticed Prompto’s ears were gradually turning pink. “But, yeah. Noct’s getting better, for sure. Having Lady Lunafreya around to heal them both really helped.”

“Hmm, I see.”

You wanted to ask about more things, but then decided not to. It felt odd, having to ask Prompto about everyone’s lives even though you were technically living together with them. If anything, it only showed how much you didn’t really belong in the royal entourage. You hadn't expected to feel lonely because of it, but you did. The feeling rose and ebbed every time you heard the boys chatting merrily downstairs in the kitchen, or in their rooms playing cards or video games. All without including you.

Then again, why let it affect you so much? You weren't part of their group in the first place. And maybe keeping it that way was for the best. If the years of experience that you had in the Glaives could teach you anything, it's that you were able to do your job much better without so much personal connection.

“I know it may be a bit late for this, but I want to say thank you, Leonis.”

You arched one eyebrow at Prompto after he broke off your train of thoughts. “Really? What for?”

“Well, for bringing Lady Lunafreya safely from Insomnia, for one,” he answered with a shrug. “I mean, I’ve known for a long time that she’s an incredible person. But being able to finally meet her up close is… a different experience altogether. And it’s all thanks to you that she managed to arrive here in Altissia, isn't it?”

You couldn't help but stammer, “Well, I'm just-”

“And thank you, too, for what you did at the Altar, defending everyone until the very last moment.”

You noticed that Prompto’s grip on his camera had tightened. The tip of his fingers were subtly shaking. “Gladio and I… if only we had arrived sooner…”

Quietly, you approached the cameraman and held one of his wrists. He looked up to you, startled. But he relaxed slightly upon seeing your smile.

“It’s not your fault, Prompto,” you told him. “No one is at fault for what happened.” _Except perhaps that accursed Chancellor,_ but you held back from saying the last sentence out loud.

Once again, Prompto smiled the smile that reminded you of a ray of sunshine. “Thanks again, Leonis.”

“You’re very welcome, Prom.”

You gave him a small, encouraging tap on the shoulder before turning to look at the broken monument. “So… are we done here?”

“Almost! Here, come stand next to me, Leonis, and put your arm on my shoulders like so…”

“What? Why?”

“I’m trying to take a selfie of us! It’s for documential purposes.”

“... Right.”

You chuckled and then did as you were told, grinning into the lens of the camera while Prompto's chocobo-like hair tickled at your cheek.

In that moment, you dared hope the next time you pose for a selfie, it would be with the complete royal retinue.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, you couldn't help but be reminded of what Prompto said. You were crossing one of the bridges which were recently rebuilt, on the way to the arena for your daily spar with Gladio. The Shield was walking a few steps ahead of you, and you couldn't help but watch him with an odd mix of pity and curiosity. 

"Something stuck to my back?" asked Gladio before turning around. It all happened so suddenly that you could barely hide what you were doing, and you couldn’t help but jolt up from the panic.

"Um… yeah. There was a… big bug hanging on your shirt, but it flew away just now. Don’t worry," you lied. "A-anyway. Gladio, do you have a sibling?"

Gladio flicked one thick eyebrow up at you. You tried your best to look straight into his amber eyes, quietly hoping that the question hadn't sounded too random. 

"Uh, yeah. I do, actually. A little sister," answered Gladio. "She's in Lestallum now."

"Ah."

You found yourself running out of words all of a sudden. But of course, you thought. His family had to escape Insomnia as well and became refugees in strange cities.

"My mother is in Lestallum, too," you eventually offered.

Gladio looked back at you quietly. Both of you were walking side by side at that point, either by virtue of him slowing down or you finally catching up to him. The sound of water lapping up against the wall of the canal filled in the silence between the two of you.

At one point, Gladio looked away towards the street in front of him. "And what about your father?"

Glimpses of Sunday morning played in your vision, replacing old cobblestone street and elaborate house fronts. Your father stood in front of the stove. You ran to hug his leg. He picked you up, laughing, and asked if you wanted a taste of what he was cooking. You remembered nothing of the rest - no smell, no taste.

Must have been another part of your memory that you’d never get back from the Scourge.

You tilted your head down and watched your feet take one step after another along the Altissian cobblestone street. "He died in a Niffs bombing many years ago."

"Ah…"

It was Gladio's turn to become speechless. After a moment’s thought, he decided to walk closer to your side and reach out to touch your hand. You found yourself reaching back in response. His fingers sought yours and your own fingers entwined themselves to his, as if it was the most natural thing to do.

“I know how hard it must have been,” he said quietly.

“I know you do.”

You continued on walking hand in hand along a canal until the arena. All the while, you imagined the scars on both your hands intersected: a map of all the battles - and losses - that each of you had endured in the name of the kingdom.


	4. The Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the spars became a routine, Gladio challenged you with a bet to make things more interesting. However, the resulting pressure ended up making you spill the beans regarding Noctis' fate. How would the Shield react to your revelation?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added Flirting in the tag because we're talking Gladio here.

"Hey, may I suggest something?"

"Huh?"

It was difficult enough to give a one-syllable reply while Gladio's broadsword was pressing down on your dagger, even after you held it up with both hands. It was wild that he still had this much energy left to spare after all the construction work that the both of you had been involved in the day before. 

Damn this man and his daemon-like prowess, you thought. And damn his muscular pecs in particular for being both strong (the broadsword did not swing around by itself, after all) _and_ distracting your focus at the same time.

"We should put on a bet," he said next. "That'll force either one of us to be more motivated to win."

You managed a confused blink. "You have a sick idea on motivation, Gladio." 

"I know. Noct doesn't get tired of reminding me," he replied with a grin and a flick of his sword-hand's wrist that sent you scrambling sideways into an evasive warp. When you reappeared again, with your knees bent and one of your hands holding the ground, you saw that Gladio had banished his sword and shield away - a signal for a quick break.

You dropped your gaze to the floor and told yourself quietly to not focus much on where Gladio had sent off his weapons. How it marked the difference between a mere Glaive and a trusted retainer, how it was obvious for a king to share his Crystal-bestowed Armiger with the latter but not the former… 

Gladio cleared his throat, forcing you to stop overthinking and instead focus your attention at him.

"Alright, here's the deal: if I win, Leonis, you will have to go on a date with me."

Your jaw fell comically fast. "What?! Wait! You can't just-"

There was barely time to finish your sentence, however. A soft hum in the air was the only sign that you got as Gladio summoned back his broadsword. Cursing under your breath, you cast a protective Wall to block the incoming blade, stepped aside, then rushed head-first at him in a tackle. To your surprise, your haphazard attack did hit, and you managed to send Gladio down to the floor, pinning him down with the entire weight of your upper body.

Gladio let out a pained groan. If you weren't so breathless at that point, you'd probably grin proudly. As it was, you could only manage to utter, "Well… I told you to wait… didn't I…?"

"Well, if I had waited… you'd have probably… kicked my ass… harder than that," he countered between similarly uneven breaths. Nevertheless, he still managed to grin at you - one of those kinds that made you feel inevitable warmth spouting from around your neck.

"So, I guess you won this round, Lioness," he announced. "You can do whatever you want with me, you know."

The deep baritone voice that he used to make the announcement caused you to swallow thickly. Suddenly, it occurred to you just how close the two of you were physically. Aside from your arm which was holding his collar down, you could have been reenacting the moment you'd woken up the morning after the covenant with Leviathan. 

Without meaning to, you got reminded again of your conversation with Prompto. Was his teasing and smirking really a mere mask? You absently placed one hand on Gladio's jaw. Then you ran your thumb along the agape mouth that had magically turned _that_ ridiculous nickname into something wonderfully sensual.

"There is… something important that I have to tell you, Gladio."

Your throat felt dry suddenly. It was partly caused by the sharpness of Gladio's teeth that you could feel subtly running along the tip of your digit. A low, rumbling chuckle reverberated out of the Shield's broad chest. "Well, I'm pretty sure whatever that important thing is-"

"Noctis is going to die."

The lips and teeth left your thumb entirely as soon as you finished the sentence.

"... What?"

* * *

"... Hey. Everything okay?"

Gladio blinked and turned his attention towards you as you sat next to him by the edge of the canal. There was something akin to concern on his expression. At one point, you also realized that both of his fists had balled up into tight fists - like he was getting ready to participate in an imaginary brawl.

"Yeah… I'm fine," he said, immediately relaxing his hands. "Just thinking of everything that you've just told me."

"… I can imagine."

You sighed, having belatedly realized that you had just told Gladio everything, full stop. The prophecy, the true identity of the Chancellor, the truth behind what happened when a person disappeared after contracting the Scourge... looking back, perhaps you should have given him some break.

Gladio shook his head. "It's crazy to think that all this information has been kept secret from the public for… what? 2000 years?"

"To prevent mass panic, maybe?" You shrugged and shifted your attention to the water. The sun's reflection flickered on the surface, making the canal appear glowing. "I mean, I've also been doubting whether to tell _you_ about the prophecy… I was afraid of how you would react."

"I can only imagine," Gladio grunted. "It’s not the best news I’ve heard in a while. But thanks for letting me know."

"You're welcome."

There were so many things that you wanted to talk with Gladio at that point. What could they do to prevent Noctis from dying? Was it even a possible thing to do, seeing that the Astrals themselves had decided on his fate? But you reigned yourself in, not wanting to confuse the Shield even more.

After a moment's silence, Gladio finally turned his attention back to you. "So… what're you going to do with this knowledge?"

His amber eyes looked as if they were staring right into your soul, and that made you subconsciously gulp. "I don't really know. Luna told me to stop being her Shield and join you guys, but…"

"I see. The Oracle has decreed it, huh?" Gladio crossed both his arms in front of his chest. His eyebrows furrowed in contemplation. "Well, I suppose it never hurts to have another pair of helping hands, seeing that Ignis' vision is impared now…"

Silence fell between the two of you until you finally asked the one question that had been plaguing you the last few days, "Do you really think the others will be okay with me joining the royal retinue?"

To your surprise, Gladio replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Well, Ignis probably knows all the royal protocols, so he might have a word about it. But it shouldn't be something I can't handle. And Prompto shouldn't be too difficult to convince, so long as you manage to get Noctis to agree."

"Noctis, huh?" you echoed absently.

"Yeah. As bratty as he may be, he is still the King. At the end of the day, it's his decision that matters."

Silence fell between you and Gladio. From a corner of your eye, you noticed that the Shield was directing his gaze to the other side of the canal.

"I know you must be afraid," he said next. "Not of the Scourge or the Imperial Chancellor, but of failing. You can't handle even the smallest possibility of failing Noctis, especially after you have failed King Regis already."

You said nothing back for a moment. Not when every single word that Gladio said was correct. Your gaze fell once more to the surface of the canal as you listened to more of his words.

"I've been through something similar, you know? And I went through some hubris that almost got myself killed, trying to find an answer."

"Really?" The thought of someone as confident as Gladio ever having doubts that brought him close to death was so out of this world that you had to ask, "What did you find out from that near-death experience?"

Gladio took a breath in, and then exhaled it into a sigh. "Well… there really is nothing else you can do but go on ahead with everything that you already have. That includes your strength in the moment - and the strength of others who are willing to help you in your journey."

You blinked at him. "Huh. That is…"

As you thought of a possible adjective to best deliver your message, you turned to Gladio and found yourself exchanging looks with him for a moment. At one point, it occurred to you that the first kiss that you both shared had happened by a canal similar to this one. Upon that realization, you turned away, while warmth was beginning to creep upon your face.

"... W-well, I guess we better go now," you suggested before standing up to your feet. "The others are going to wonder where we are."

Gladio chuckled as he got up and went after you. "They knew we were going to spar already. Where else would they think we are?"

"How should I know?" you retorted. "Why don't you answer that question yourself?"

"Hmm. Maybe they'll think that we're going on a date?"

You turned to look at Gladio with narrowed eyes. If it wasn't because of the flushing warmth that kept growing on your cheeks and neck, you'd remember to scold him.

"Do you really want to go on a date with me that much, Gladio?" you asked instead.

You watched Gladio tilt his head. A mischievous, youthful smirk was forming on his lips. "Yeah, actually. I want to go on a date with you very much."

Well, perhaps you should have scolded him.

Or disappear into a hole somewhere in the ground and never come out again.

You couldn't quite decide.

"But I'd hate it if you go out with me just because I keep nagging you about it," he resumed, all the while walking ahead of your frozen form on the Altissian cobblestone street. "I don't wanna be that kind of guy, you know?"

You stared at Gladio's back for several moments before finally gathering enough courage to say out loud, "Well, would you feel better if I ask you out on a date instead?"

Immediately, Gladio stopped walking. "... What did you just say?"

Upon a closer look, you realized that his ears were turning pink. Trying your best to hold back your satisfied chuckle, you took a few steps ahead to make sure you really were within the Shield's hearing range.

"I'm not going to ask twice, you know…"

"Then, yes! Totally, absolutely, 100 percent yes."

Sounds of hurried steps could be heard behind you. You couldn't help but chuckle this time around.

"Alright, then. I guess we have a date."

"You won't regret it, I promise."

In a short moment, you felt the warmth of his battle-hardened hand once again in your palm and was tempted to say that you were already not regretting asking him out on a date, after all.


	5. The King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio helped you get some time alone with Noctis to convince him that you could join the royal retinue, with one instruction: keep things informal. Or Noctis would get weirded out again.
> 
> You were definitely not going to fuck this up. Maybe. Hopefully.

The sun was shining bright above your head as you stood by a pier, waiting for Noctis. Gladio had helped you load up the fishing equipment earlier. Boxes of them lied on the floor of a rented skiff moored next to your feet.

You tried to think back on the lines that you had planned to say to Noctis. First, you'd tell him about the prophecy, then offer him your service and swear to protect him from the impending, gods-destined death as his loyal retainer.

… Wait, perhaps that should wait until later? Gladio did say to keep things casual, relaxed. Otherwise, Noctis would be-

"Huh? Where's Gladio?"

If you had been standing on the skiff instead of the pier, you would have probably fallen into the water with how hard you jumped up startled. Instinctively, you brought your right hand up to where your heart was, in preparation of a salute. But then Gladio’s advice kicked into your consciousness and you dropped your arm to your side in an instant.

“Gladio is… busy right now, at the reconstruction committee,” you replied, making sure to stop yourself before you could say ‘Your Majesty’. “So I’m here today in his place… to accompany you fishing.”

One dark eyebrow quirked up above a storm-colored eye. “Really?” Noctis dropped his gaze and let out a heavy sigh. “That guy… he could’ve picked a better reason to bail on me.”

You opened your mouth and was about to assure Noctis that Gladio really was regretting not being able to come, but then realized that it may come out too formal. So you helped Noctis get on the skiff, unmoor it, and start up the motor. Before long, the two of you were sailing away from the pier and along a canal. The water splashed and glittered from the reflection of the sun all around you.

"So… how are you feeling today, Noct?" you tried to make a small, casual talk. "Must feel nice to get out of bed finally."

"Yeah, seriously." Noctis paused to sigh. "Though apparently I'm still too weak to spar. For Gladio's standards, that is."

"I'm pretty sure he has your best interests at heart."

"I know he does. It just feels a bit… off, after all those times he forced me out of bed for morning jogs." He furrowed his brows. "Actually, come to think of it, he's done _way_ worse than that, too. I wish he'd given me some slack sometimes…"

You couldn't help but chuckle. "But now that he does give you some slack, you miss it, huh?"

Noctis turned to look at you with an indecipherable expression. You closed your mouth immediately and turned your attention straight away to the way ahead of you, taking especially more attention on the rubble that was still not cleaned up. The silence between you lasted for a moment, interrupted every once in a while by the screeching of seagulls as you got closer to the sea.

“I can understand, you know. Personally, sparring with Gladio reminds me of Kingsglaive daily training,” you broke the silence after a while. “Especially the parts where he kicks my ass.”

“Really? Even you?” Noctis let out a string of chuckle. “I thought he’d at least take it easy for a girl that he likes.”

"Yeah… not a chance."

You watched how Noctis’ midnight blue eyes shifted away from you before they were darting here and there around the water. “Hmm… this spot looks great. Can we stop here, Leonis?”

You knew little about fishing in the first place, so there was little that you could do aside from following Noctis’ request. After turning off the motor of the skiff, you helped him take parts out of the boxes and assemble them together. Once the bait was in place and the hook was cast out into the water, you noticed that Noctis stole glances in your direction while also paying attention to the fishing rod.

“... You know, I never properly thanked you… for saving me and Luna,” he started quietly. “So I just want to say: thank you.”

You directed your gaze on Noctis the moment he mentioned Luna’s name. The rest of his words were admittedly not the careful and articulate gratitude that you had expected from a king, but there was sincerity in his gestures and facial expressions that you could appreciate. Furthermore, seeing him from this angle, looking somberly out to the waters, he almost reminded you of King Regis.

“You’re welcome.” You grimaced before looking sideways towards the water. “Was just doing my duty.”

Silence filled the space between you again. The motor was turned off, so little sounds like water moving against the hull of the skiff were loud and clear. From far away, a ship could be seen sailing away into the sea.

“I guess… I should apologize as well… for refusing the ring and… betraying your trust.” Noctis’ fumbled words sliced through the thick silence like a hot knife through butter.

Your heartbeat increased in pace. As you turned your attention back to the king and noticed his nervous ticks, it occurred to you that he must have rehearsed the entire phrase a lot prior to that moment.

“It’s okay, Noct. If you’re not ready, then there’s no point in forcing you to take it.”

You would have stopped there, but another thought began to surface in your mind. Your mouth opened once, but then closed again. Noctis seemed to notice your hesitation, and asked, “Is it… really okay, though?”

“Well, I mean… the worst that can happen is that the world will be mostly consumed by darkness, and the Niffs will probably destroy the rest.” You tried to play it off casually - complete with an awkward chuckle - just like what Gladio had told you. But that didn’t stop clouds from forming on Noctis’ brows.

"Everyone is telling me to claim the throne, but… I don't understand why it has to be me," he began, quietly and pensievely. "I mean, I know that it's politics and stuff, but… I'm pretty sure there are others who can rule better than me. So why can't they be king instead?"

You stared quietly at Noctis, half-expecting that you would feel angry. But there was no anger - instead, you felt a sudden and overwhelming need to give him a hug.

However, against all odds, you managed to refrain from hugging the King of Lucis, and instead saying calmly, "I know it's hard to take on a responsibility when you keep thinking that you'll fail. It takes a lot of courage to take that next step - but even more so to admit that you may not have all that it takes.

"So I think… you'll be just fine," you resumed. "I know you will be a good king. Just like your father."

Noctis turned to you, wide-eyed. "Wow, thanks… I didn't expect you to say that."

You chuckled. A breeze blew by and the skiff you were in swung lightly from one side to the other, just in time for you to turn your gaze Noctis.

“I can also hold the ring for you until you feel ready,” you continued. “And follow and protect you, together with Gladio and the others.”

At once, you witnessed Noctis’ eyes grow even wider and rounder. His eyebrows, too, went up into his forehead in an instance.

“Really? You’d do that… for me?” His tone was almost disbelieving, before his brows furrowed yet again. “But… I thought you were Luna’s Shield?”

You tried your best to ignore the sudden pinching pain inside your chest that emerged at the mention of the title. “It’s what she wishes, actually. For me to join your royal retinue.”

“Oh? Okay…” He paused and looked contemplative for a moment. “Did something happen between the two of you?”

You sighed. “Anything that happened between us is all taken care of now.”

“Ah, so you two broke up?”

You froze any movement immediately and abruptly, while your eyes stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Noctis. Any thought of a reply completely melted away, however, and all that you ended up saying was, “… You _knew_?”

“Well… yeah. Luna called and told me.”

Once again, Noctis scratched at the back of his head, turning his hair even more tousled. His midnight-blue eyes were looking everywhere except your direction. “I mean, it’s cool, you know. The royals in the past, they always had multiple lovers aside from their spouse, so… I guess I shouldn’t be mad that Luna is dating you. I mean, _was_ dating you. I mean… ugh.”

Noctis covered his face in frustration while you tried your best to steady your heartbeat. 

“I guess what I’m trying to say is… I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” you heard him mumble next. Both of his ears and the upper part of his neck had turned redder, you noticed, and you wondered just how much of it was because of the sun.

You turned away to the waters and was dumbfounded for a long moment. In all honesty, you really wanted to leave. But you were surrounded by water and couldn't actually get away from Noctis until reaching the land. And on top of that, you couldn't just go without achieving what you planned to do in this meeting with Noctis.

Right. That was it. You just had to suck it all up and get it all over with.

“Hey, Noct?” Your tone was tentative, clearly not used to the nickname.

“Yeah?” Noctis dropped his hands from his face in order to look in your direction.

You took a moment's pause to breathe in and out, then, “So… does that mean I am accepted as a royal retinue?”

Noctis blinked in surprise. “Eh? Well… I mean, I gotta ask Ignis first if-”

“If I have to kneel, or do any ritual - I will do it, you know. I see no problem at all.”

“No! Please! Anything but that.”

Noctis’ entire neck and cheeks were completely beet red at this point. “I mean. Yes. Yes, you’re in, I’ll… talk with Ignis and… ask him what spell to give you access to Armiger… or whatever.”

With that, the young king of Lucis turned to attend to his fishing rod and reel. You blinked once, then twice, before finally chuckling. Looking back, you had to admit that the entire exchange had been rather… amusing.

"Noct… are you sure I really don't need to kneel?" you asked again, more curious on how Noctis would react than anything. The result was immediate: Noctis' ears grew even redder (which you didn't know was possible) and he almost dropped the fishing rod into the water.

"No!! I mean, yes! I'm sure of it!!"

You let out yet another amused chuckle. It only lasted a moment, however, as the fishing reel suddenly soon showed signs of being pulled. Upon witnessing it, both you and Noctis scrambled up to your feet. 

"Shit. Leonis! Grab the bucket!"

"Got it. Wait, Noct! Don't move so quickly or we'll-"

Your sentence was cut midway through as you felt the skiff tip sideways beneath your feet. However, before you could even do anything, the cold surface of the water was already hitting your skin.

* * *

The sun was just about to set. Yet, as you sat on the bench in the back garden of the villa, you couldn't seem to shake off the cold in your bones. Since Noctis managed to reach the bathroom first, you thought of waiting here so you didn’t have to drip water all over the villa's antique furnitures, but you seriously had miscalculated the temperature. You had sneezed a couple of times already, and could feel the next one coming… 

“Bless you.”

You turned to see Ignis approaching from the patio doors. His movements were slow and tentative, like he was making sure the bench was really where he thought it was. One of his hands was holding a smooth black cane that reminded you of King Regis’. Did he obtain it from the Armiger? The thought passed your mind briefly before you reached out to touch his elbow.

“Ah, thank you, Leonis,” he said while you helped him sit down on the bench. “I was rather fearful that I may have reached the edge of the garden.”

“Don’t worry. The water won’t kill you,” you deadpanned. “Noctis and I just survived it.”

You paused for another moment to sneeze yet again. Ignis reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and offered you a handkerchief, which you accepted and thanked him for.

“Speaking of surviving,” he began. “Gladio told me the truth about Noct’s fate.”

You stopped clearing your nose and placed all of your attention on Ignis. He resumed, “I must say, I wasn’t unaware of it. The Ring of Lucii has shown me… visions.”

“That’s horrible,” you remarked. Then you let out a sigh, remembering what Luna had told you: _only the Accursed and those chosen by the Crystal knew about the complete prophecy._ As the survivor of the ring, you supposed that Ignis did fulfill the requirements to be chosen by the Crystal.

You turned your attention back to the sea. The sun was beginning to set now, painting the horizon with vibrant colors of red, orange, and pink.

“What do you think we should do?” you directed the question to no one in particular, although Ignis shifted slightly upon hearing your question.

“I’ve been wondering the same thing every day since I woke up in this darkened world,” he replied. “What can we mortals do, in the face of the divines' judgement?”

“But you did it, didn’t you? You faced the judgement of the Lucian Kings.” You shifted your focus back to Ignis. “How… was it like?” 

“It was… dark, painful, and lonesome,” answered Ignis after a moment of silence. “But I knew what I had to do to save Noctis. It was the only thing that kept me going.”

Hearing the strain in Ignis’ voice, you immediately regretted asking the question. “I’m sorry. I should have asked if you wanted to elaborate.”

“No, I can understand. You must have wanted to know what Nyx Ulric may have experienced.”

His darkened glasses slipped down his nose and you caught a glimpse of the burnt scar he had over his left eye. Ignis paused to push the frame up his nose before continuing, “Although I can’t say for certain why my life was spared… when the thirteen Kings of Yore appeared before me, I told them that I was more than ready to give my life up for Noctis.”

“Well…” Your gaze trailed back to the horizon. The sun had disappeared almost completely, and the sky was becoming dark. “Maybe not all pre-divined deaths need to actually happen, huh?”

Ignis hummed. “Maybe.”

You spent the next few moments in silence, watching the darkening sea and sky. It didn’t feel as cold anymore, oddly. Perhaps the fact that Ignis’ shoulder was brushing against yours had to do with it. It did occur to you that you may have to check whether Noctis was using up all the hot water, though.

“By the way, Leonis. I have a little something for you.”

Puzzled, you looked at Ignis, and in turn watched him fish out a golden chain from behind the lapel of his jacket.

“I know that the string you’ve worn for the Ring of Lucii was broken in the battle, so I hope this would make a suitable replacement,” he said, handing over the delicate chain to you. “Worry not - Gladio is aware that I’m giving it to you, so there should be no misunderstanding.”

You couldn’t help but accept the gift with a laugh. “Thank you. Also, the way you guys are guarding his romantic life is very cute, I must admit.”

Ignis replied with a simple shrug. “Pardon us for the overexcitement. This is the first time any of us ever discovered who Gladio is courting.”

You chuckled. "I see. Well, I'm glad you managed to satisfy your curiosities."

You took the Ring of Lucii out of a buttoned up pocket on your pants and ran the golden chain through it before putting it on your neck. After taking a moment to admire the new jewelry, you looked up to see Ignis directing his unseeing eyes out towards the sea. A soft sea breeze blew by and played lightly with his sandy blond hair.

“Nice breeze, huh?” you commented.

Ignis turned slightly towards your general direction. “It sure is,” he said. “The sun must have set by now. Or am I wrong?”

"No, you're correct, actually." A small smile made its way to your expression. “And the sky is quite clear today. You can see the Old Bear clearly.”

"Is that so?" The corners of Ignis' mouth curved ever so slightly. "Tell me, what other constellations are there that you can see at the moment?"

"Hmm, let's see. There is the Virgin in the west, and the Archer too, I think?"

"Interesting. In Lucis we don't tend to see them until later in the night."

"That's true... I never noticed it before."

Silence fell again between you. Then at one point, Ignis tilted his head in your general direction and actually smiled. "Thank you, Leonis."

You replied by giving Ignis' cane-holding hand a gentle squeeze. "You're very welcome."


	6. The Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the date night with Gladio, you had to contend with the thoughts that maybe... just maybe, you were not at all worthy of his attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post this early because I have a lot of time this week to edit due to vacation.
> 
> Song lyrics in this chapter are taken from [I'm With You](https://youtu.be/4Fze0XQ6oUI) by Vance Joy.
> 
> Also please note the rating change!

"… So I take it the suit was damaged in the battle with the Tidemother?"

The stern voice of Vivienne Westwood forced you to focus your attention back on her. One of the first questions she had asked upon accepting you into her newly opened shop was regarding the last time you had worn the suit - which your mind traced back to the battle for Altissia and its direct aftermath. In fact, you were pretty sure that you were still wearing the suit when Luna had broken up with you.

You let out a deep sigh and decided to answer before your mind could wander once more, "Yes… I got slashed with a knife up here near my neck, and I also fell into the water at some point."

Vivienne hummed. There was something in her voice that made you feel judged. "Well, I will see if I can find something readily available in the shop. I assume you know your way to the changing room?"

Before you could answer her question, Vivienne already flitted away again to another part of the shop. Assuming that she had meant for you to use the changing room, you headed up there and began to change out of your t-shirt and pants. 

"One has to wonder why you come back at all, my dear," you heard her say next beyond the curtained cover of the changing room. "I suppose it's not merely out of appreciation of my craft - though I wouldn't be so surprised if that's indeed the case."

You chuckled as you hung your clothes up on the provided hangers. "Well, I'm going on a date, and since your suit is the only nice clothes that I have-"

"Ah, a date! I should have guessed. You must have gained a lot of admirers now since your video became popular," she interrupted. "It's good, too, for business. The reason I could open the shop again so early is that people keep requesting when they could get a hand on a suit similar to yours. So I suppose I have you to thank."

"Right. You're welcome… I guess."

Just as you were closing your mouth, Vivienne’s hand appeared through the parting of the changing room's curtains, holding a clothes hanger with something black draped over it. You couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"Try this," Vivienne's disembodied voice demanded. "I thought you might want something that accentuates some of your... assets."

"Err… okay? I mean, thank you very much."

You took the clothes tentatively. There was a strong urge to ask Vivienne what she meant with your assets, but you decided to hold your tongue.

_"Well I've been on fire, dreaming of you  
Tell me you don't  
It feels like you do  
Looking like that, you'll open some wounds"_

Since the reconstruction efforts began, Altissians from different walks of life had been wondering whether the Chocomoogle festival would still happen or not. After many discussions with the reconstruction committee, it was finally decided that the festival would still be organized after all - but on a much smaller scale.

Or so you understood from the last meeting that you attended. But as you watched the entire city glow with candlelights under the night sky, you couldn't help but wonder just how big the festival would've looked like if Leviathan hadn't raged.

“Not a bad sight for a date, huh?” Gladio remarked from across the table, doubtless having noticed your eyes wandering beyond the restaurant’s balcony where you both were seated.

You turned from the candlelit scenery beyond the canal to properly look at your date of the evening. Gladio’s eagle tattoo was completely hidden under the black three-piece suit that he was wearing. Which was quite a shame, but at the same time you didn’t really dislike how the suit formed a sharper silhouette on the Shield. It roused the vague imagery that you had on your first ever meeting with him - of a heartbreaking gentleman hunter from Keycatrich - from the depths of your memory.

As for yourself - you were wearing a backless waistcoat that was fastened with golden buttons, a pair of trousers that was part of your suit, and two silk shirt cuffs around your wrists. You would be lying to say that you weren't sceptical about the entire outfit, but the kind of look that Vivienne had given when you were about to voice your objection was enough to shut you up.

At the same time, if Gladio found your clothing to be ridiculous, he hadn't said it out loud. He was probably much too polite for it, anyway - although you did catch his glance swept you down every once in a while. Just like what he did right after asking his rhetorical question. Grinning, you took your wine glass and took a sip.

“Patting ourselves in the back, are we?” you quipped. “Although I have to say, how you can reserve a table here right in the middle of the festival is beyond me…”

From the corner of your eyes, you saw Gladio smiling smugly. The Cathedral of Altissia stood behind him, lit up from all directions, while on your right, the water of the canal reflected the glowing festivities.

“Well, I happened to be helping out with reconstruction efforts around this area, together with a couple of other men.” Gladio spun the wine in his glass absently before taking a sip - a tick that you guessed must have come from his aristocratic upbringing. “So when the owner of the restaurant asked if there was anything he could do to repay me…”

You shook your head ironically. “Taking rewards from volunteer work? Unbelievable.”

“I only told him that there was a girl that I wanted to impress,” he placed the glass back on the table and smiled at you. “He came up with the ideas himself.”

“Hmm…” You narrowed your eyes before taking a sip from your own wine glass. It tasted mild and full, not like anything that you had tasted before in Altissia. Your gaze inevitably jumped regularly between his golden eyes and the ruby-red beverage. "I can't help but feel like something is still missing from that story."

Gladio chuckled. “Fine. I admit the wine was all my idea.”

“Aha! I knew it. You fancy boy,” you said, tutting. Then, a smile floated up on your expression. “Well, thank you, nevertheless. I’ve never been on a proper date before, so all this is… very nice.”

Upon closing your mouth, you thought of kicking yourself. Very nice - was that really all that you could come up with? Noctis was definitely way more articulate than that.

Nevertheless, you focused your attention back on Gladio, expecting him to snicker or laugh. He did neither of those things, however, and instead reached one hand out to hold yours.

“You deserve way more than a nice date, Leonis.”

Your mouth turned dry upon hearing his remark. It was loud enough for you to hear but also soft enough that you doubted other restaurant guests could listen in. You cleared your throat, but any word that you wanted to say came out as an unintelligible stammer. A soft chuckle escaped Gladio and he retracted his hand, instantly giving back your brain the ability to think.

“Well, as I was about to say-”

“Huh, is that the Oracle and Prince Noctis?”

All blood seemed to be draining away from your hands. You searched around and spotted a gondola passing by on the canal. Unlike most gondolas in Altissia, this one was even more decorated with golden and red embellishment that was reminiscent of the city’s symbol. A young couple sat in its golden seat, holding hands and waving to the public - but you recognized neither one of them.

“Must be the prince and princess of the festival,” Gladio explained helpfully. “They’re supposed to officiate the festival and set off the first fireworks.”

“Ah… I didn’t know that,” you muttered, trying hard to suppress the quiver that threatened to spill from your voice.

“Claustra wouldn’t have dared to ask Noct to lead the festival,” he continued. “The Niffs may be busy fighting among themselves, but it would be stupid of her to challenge them now when Altissia still barely recovered.”

Gladio said something else, but much of it flew right over your head as you focused on finishing your food. Trying hard not to think of what Luna and Noctis may be doing that evening at the festival, surrounded by the romantic lights of Altissia. Her fair skin would be warmed up by the soft glow of the candles, and he’d sweep some blonde strands away from her face carefully, reluctantly before leaning in closer… 

“… Leonis, is everything okay?”

You started from staring at your empty plate and immediately noticed Gladio’s amber eyes staring unwaveringly at you. You cleared your throat. “Yes. I’m sorry, what were you saying again?”

The edges of Gladio’s expression hardened and you couldn’t help but feel guilty. Not a moment later, though, it softened into a smile. “I was just asking if you wanted to get away from here.”

You blinked once, and then twice. Then the real meaning behind his words finally struck you and you felt warmth blooming under your neck and cheeks.

“Um… yeah, I guess we can go…”

“Alright. Wait here, I’ll be back in a minute.”

_"How does it start, and when does it end?  
Only been here for a moment  
But I know I want you  
But is it too soon?"_

The gondola trip from the restaurant was mostly quiet. Neither you nor Gladio spoke much, and the stillness between you was mostly filled by the splashing of water against the hull or the gondolier’s oar.

In the pensive silence, you couldn’t help but feel that you may have disappointed Gladio. What kind of sociopath would think of their ex during such a wonderful dinner date? The thought and the guilt grew until you could almost feel its tangible weight on your shoulders.

Then suddenly, the first spark of pink and orange blasted into full bloom on the night sky.

It was hardly the first fireworks that you had ever seen in your life. In fact, you had seen several magnificent ones from the rooftop of Caelum Via, at the gala preceding the fake peace treaty agreement. Compared to such a spectacle, the single pink firework was merely a blip in the night sky. Yet, sitting there on a gondola cutting through an Altissian canal, you couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp.

Gladio slipped one arm to the small of your back. “I hope that's not the last time you're going to gasp like that tonight.”

As he whispered the words, Gladio's hand on your back slid down your backless waistcoat, just above the waistband of your pants, then trailed further sideways before resting on your hip. His amber eyes shined from the glowing candles that flanked the canal.

“You look exceptional tonight, Leonis,” he resumed, his breath a warm caress against the tip of your ear. “Much more so than the fireworks.”

You thought of something witty to reply to his sultry advances, but then you opened your mouth and ended up with, “Thank you. It’s all Vivienne Westwood.”

Gladio's chuckle reverberated deep from his broad chest, which only made your heart pound harder from embarrassment. “Fancy girl.”

He let go of your waist to take a bottle from the low table in front of you, and you couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. “Sparkling wine to celebrate the festivities?”

“Yes, please.”

You took one of the bulbous glasses and Gladio readily filled one-sixth of it with wine. It was ruby red, with bubbles that floated up the glass' curves like little stars under the soft glow of the city. After a short toast with Gladio, you brought the glass to your lips and sipped the content slowly, savoring the little sparkles that melted on the surface of your tongue. You discovered that it helped distract you from the hard pounding inside your ribcage - as well as the guilt from your most recent daydreaming.

“I still can’t believe I’m actually on a date with you, to be honest,” Gladio's voice was low, almost bashful - and surprisingly more intimate than you had expected. “I really thought I was going to have to prove myself to you for ten years before you so much as consider me.”

“Well, I guess big changes can arrive suddenly,” you chuckled, trying your best to sound light and casual. “Like a siege… or a goddess' wrath.”

The gondola passed by the ruins of what used to be a great villa, as slow and graceful as a swan. Your eyes followed the ruins even as you were sailing away before the sight ultimately disappeared behind a bend on the canal.

“Yeah… big changes, indeed.” Gladio turned to smile pensively at you. “I hope my presence didn’t cause as much damage as either one of those things that you mentioned.”

You put the glass back on the table and returned his smile with a wider one. “Honestly, Gladio, I think it’s quite the contrary in your case.”

The gondola veered slightly as it made a turn on the canal. It caused you to lean even closer to Gladio, closing the distance enough that you could feel his hard chest against your shoulder. And there was again that subtle smell of leather. Somewhere at the base of your neck, you started to feel warm. From the wine, perhaps, or something else entirely. You looked up and saw molten gold in Gladio's eyes.

He called out your first name, then. It felt odd to hear it - like it was a lifetime ago that someone used it to call you out loud. One big, calloused hand cupped your cheek next. Your eyes fluttered close, and the only sensations that you could focus on were the warmth of his hand and his breath caressing your skin.

The kiss was slow and languid. All gentle and sweet-tasting from the sparkling wine that you both had ingested. Gladio was taking his time, nipping carefully at your bottom lip and cradling your head. Like you were something precious and breakable. If both of you hadn't been sitting precariously close to the water, you would have pushed back and pinned him down to the floor. But as it was, all you did was kiss him back and cling to his broad shoulders like your life depended on it.

Perhaps in a way, it really did. You didn’t know how you’d survive the last couple of weeks if it wasn’t for the time that you spent together. Before Gladio extended his invitation to spar regularly with you, you hadn’t realized how much you needed the habits and familiarity. A small reprieve to the situation that you were pitted against, where much of it was unknown and the stakes for failure were high.

You wanted to tell him all of this, to thank him for being there for you. But once the kiss was broken and you could open your mouth, the gondolier cleared his throat.

“Pardon the interruption… but we’ve already arrived at your destination.”

“Ah, we’re here already?”

Gladio stepped off the gondola and looked down at you with an excited glint in his amber eyes. “Are you ready, Lioness?”

You couldn’t remember what you answered, but you did remember staring at his outstretched hand. Large and battle-hardened, like how a Shield’s hand should be. When you finally took it, you noticed how your hand fit so snugly in his, as if it had always belonged there.

And you hated it. Hated how his limbs and fingers and body fit your curves and crevices perfectly. How his kisses burned you through your core, coaxing moans out of your mouth and shivers down your spine. You had wished that it hadn’t felt so _good_ , and yet it did. Even if you didn’t deserve any of it.

At one point, however, Gladio stopped the kisses. Your eyes fluttered open, and the knowledge of where you were and what you were doing gradually returned. He had taken you to Leville, mostly for privacy from the other retainers. The door of the room was hard and flat against the back of your head, and both of your clothes and hair were in various states of disarray.

“Hey… is everything okay?” His baritone voice boomed in the silent, lightless room even if it was barely louder than a mutter. There was enough moonlight that seeped in for you to notice the knot between his amber eyes.

You opened your mouth to answer, but was eventually silenced when his knuckles brushed gently at your cheek. It had been damp from the tears that you’d shed without knowing. You closed your eyes and nodded meekly.

“I’m fine…” Your voice came out as an ugly croak. “I just… I don’t know if I deserve this. If I deserve _you_. You’ve always been there for me, and I-”

You barely could finish your sentence when he kissed you again. It was harder this time, more insistent - as if he was trying to prove a point. Out of reflex, you reached to his strong neck, clinging there as if you were drowning. His teeth scraped lightly on your lips, then along your jaw, before dipping into the curve of your neck and collarbone.

“You deserve _everything_ in this world, Leonis.”

Gladio’s words caressed the hollows of your earlobe and your toes curled in your shoes. All the while, his hands travelled down, freeing your torso from the various buttons and zips of your clothes. Dazedly, you found your own hands mirroring his. His jacket fell first on the floor, followed by your waistcoat. Soon, the pants followed. You reached one hand down his exposed torso and cupped at the hardness between his legs, causing him to moan and pull you flush against him on the nearest couch.

It had been the same couch where Noctis had sat, puzzled as you knelt before him and presented his royal heirloom. The said heirloom hung freely from the golden chain around your neck, its cold steel gliding against Gladio’s hot skin as you trailed kisses and licks down from his neck. Just as you were about to reach the head of his eagle tattoo, one of his hands slipped around your hips and rolled you aside, sending a surprised yelp out of your lungs.

Before you could protest, however, his lips were once again on you, eager and swollen, and you contend yourself with pulling off the rest of the clothes that still clung onto his sculpted body.

“Gladio…,” you breathed, impatient and urgent, as his hand cupped at one of your breasts. His calloused thumb flicked at the nipple relentlessly before his mouth dipped in, capturing the hardened nub and rolling it along with his tongue. Your fingers were tangled in his hair in an instant, his muffled moans echoing yours.

After a moment, Gladio pulled away to nip at a tender spot on your neck, just under the ear lobe. “Let me please you,” he whispered before trailing kisses down your bare torso.

You breathed in and spread your thighs, allowing his mouth to reach past the curls between them. Before long, his lips were enclosed around the sensitive nub there, and when you exhaled a quivering breath. One of his fingers dipped into your wet warm folds. In, and then out.

Somewhere in the suite, a window must have been opened, because you could hear the sound of the sea waves crashing and ebbing from afar as you chased after your first orgasm of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to describe an outfit similar to [what Blake Lively wore on Simple Favor](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/5b9c4f8fc033682d4732cf1b/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/a-simple-favor-blake-lively-dickie.jpg), but it's just so gosh darn difficult. I hope I didn't butcher it too much. 🙈


	7. The Summit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A planned meeting with First Secretary Claustra took a rather unexpected turn when three familiar faces suddenly joined in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say thank you for all of you who had left the comments and kudos! ❤ I hope you are all still enjoying this fic so far.

In the spacious office room of Camelia Claustra, the thick silence was suddenly broken by Prompto’s loud and unrelenting yawn. You stiffened your jaw, trying hard not to yawn yourself before poking at his side with your elbow. The blond gunman straightened up immediately. "Ouch. I mean, sorry for slacking, Ma'am!"

You chuckled at the title. “The First Secretary isn’t here yet, Prompto.”

“Yeah… where on Eos is she?” Noctis added, his tone subtly annoyed. “I could have slept longer.”

This time, it was Gladio’s turn to elbow the king. “Don’t be such a brat. Some of us in this room need way more sleep than you do.”

“Huh. Why would you- oh.”

As Noctis spoke, Gladio's amber eyes trailed towards you before winking. You cleared your throat and looked away, intent on ignoring the gazes from Noctis and Prompto for as long as you humanly could. Thankfully, divine intervention came in the form of the sudden entrance of Camelia Claustra. The heel of her shoes made sounds against the marbles that constructed most of her office, and you noticed Ignis straighten up ever so slightly.

"My apologies for the delay," she announced. "I had to take care of some business which would allow our newly arriving guests to join us today."

You noticed that there were three men following after the First Secretary into the office. One of them was Weskham. And while you didn't know the identity of one other man, you would always be able to identify the third man anywhere. The recognition brought your jaw to a drop.

"Uncle…?"

The word came out of you barely louder than a whisper. But the Immortal Marshal seemed to notice it, nodding solemnly at your general direction before turning away to greet Noctis.

"Well, well. Never would I have expected to be present in this office again," commented Weskham. "It all looks just like the old times, doesn't it, Cid?"

The man called Cid grunted in reply. "This place's still looking as stinking pompous as ever."

"And your foul moods still haven't changed for all these years, either," your uncle chimed in.

In the meantime, Claustra took her place behind her desk and swept her blue eyes on Noctis as well as the old and the new royal retinue of Lucis. "Now that all the important parties are here I shall declare that our meeting can now start."

"May I ask what the main topic of discussion is, First Secretary Claustra?" Ignis' cane tapped lightly on the floor as he took a step forward.

"Of course you may, Lord Scientia. I have requested all of you to meet today to discuss the most recent developments in the Imperial Continent," answered Claustra. "It has come to my attention that, after declaring mutiny, former High Commander Nox Fleuret managed to find support from a sizable amount of mercenaries and disgruntled officers in the Imperial capital. Just yesterday, they managed to take over an airbase in Eusciello for almost 24 hours."

You gasped sharply. "How are they doing now? Were they taken captive?"

"To the Imperial regrets, no." A shadow of a smile was playing on Claustra's lips when she turned to you. "The former High Commander and his ragtag group of rebels managed to escape in the eleventh hour, and the Imperial Army has made apprehending the fugitives its main priority."

"Huh. Maybe that's why lotsa airships were flown out of Insomnia this past week," added Cid. "I wonder if those're Imperial reinforcements or if they're rebelling as well?"

"That is an interesting point." Weskham remarked, contemplative. 

Your uncle stepped forward before speaking up, "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we are being presented with an opportunity. With the Empire's strength and attention divided by the infighting, we are finally given a fair chance at taking back what is rightfully ours."

"Rightfully ours, huh?" Noctis joined in. His midnight blue eyes trailed down to the marble floor.

"Yes. I've been in contact with the remaining Crownsguards. All of us are looking into possible ways to take back the crown city." Your uncle approached Noctis next. "Your Majesty, with your permission, we will mobilize as soon as possible."

You watched as Noctis' chin shot back up, eyes wide with the horrors of responsibility. Feeling a slight pity for the young king, you cleared your throat. "Marshal, are you sure we have all the necessities required to take over Insomnia?"

Your uncle turned to you with a sharp gaze. It occurred to you briefly that if this meeting had happened before the fall of Insomnia, you would have felt all sorts of miserable from having received such a look from your uncle. But as it was, you looked straight back at him, calm and composed.

"That is a good point. Even if we manage to overtake Insomnia, we may not have the means to defend it," added Ignis. "Not without the Crystal."

"Yeah. If we can't create the Wall upon taking over Insomnia, we will be repeating the same mistake that Ravus made." Gladio crossed his arms.

"And how are we going to achieve that, exactly?" Weskham asked back.

"By invading Gralea first, of course. It's the only way."

All attention in the room shifted to Claustra. She in turn swept a glance around the room. "As I have mentioned, many officers in Gralea have decided to assist the former High Commander. We can safely assume that the Imperial capital's defenses are not as impenetrable as it used to be."

"But what about the Imperial borders?" asked Ignis. "We can't possibly march into Gralea without getting through them somehow, and they're most probably blockaded to prevent the rebels from evacuating."

"Well, we don't really need an army, do we?" countered Claustra. "Just a small group of skilled operatives. If I'm not mistaken, secret infiltrations are one of your Kingsglaive unit's expertises. Is that not so, Leonis?"

This time, all attention turned to _you_. You couldn't help but stammer from the sudden scrutiny. "Well, I suppose I can-"

"… I will go as well."

Much to your surprise, Noctis interrupted you. His eyes were steely when he looked first in your direction, then towards Claustra. "The Crystal is the heirloom of my kingdom and family. If there's anyone that should go to Gralea to reclaim it… that person should be me."

The entire office was quiet for a moment. Even your uncle and Ignis were out of words to say. Eventually, it was Claustra that broke the silence with, "Very well. We shall meet again in two days to discuss the mission details. Until then, I wish you all a good day."

Everyone gave a respectful bow before filing out of the Secretary's office one by one.

* * *

"Well, she didn't seem much concerned when Reggie's son offered up his life to invade the Imperial capital," grunted Cid once he was out of earshot. "I've got a bad feeling about this. What do ya think, Wesk?"

"It sounds odd, indeed. But she’s right in saying that this is our chance to strike back," replied Weskham. "Also, I noticed that the Oracle was suspiciously absent in our meeting… I wonder why the First Secretary didn't invite her when the rebels are clearly being led by her own brother?"

"Perhaps her absence is indeed intentional," suggested Ignis. "Seeing the kind of direction that our discussion took, perhaps the First Secretary must have assumed it safer to have a discussion with people whose alignment is more… straightforward."

"Ah, that must be it. At the very least, that sounds a bit more optimistic than the news going around about her frail health."

Your uncle let out a low grunt. "I'll let you guys deal with the politics here. I'm taking the first ship back to Lucis."

You stopped walking at once. "You're leaving already?" The disappointment was clear in your tone.

"I have to. This is a crucial moment to be reassembling the Lucian army."

Your uncle turned to Noctis next and made a proper military salute. "Your Majesty, I promise you that the crown city will be waiting upon your return with the Crystal."

For a second, you had expected Noctis to fluster from the formal treatment. But all he did was nod in reply. "I trust that you will do the right thing, Marshal."

Your uncle gave yet another salute before turning away towards the exit of the Ministerial Palace. As you wistfully watched him walk away, you felt Weskham approaching close until both your shoulders barely touched. “The next ship back to Lucis is leaving the earliest tomorrow afternoon,” he whispered. “Go find your uncle at Maagho any time before that. I’ll take care of the rest.”

You turned to see Weksham smirk playfully at you before catching up after your uncle. Following after him was Cid, who murmured something about the Accordon humidity not being kind to his old bones.

“… Hoo boy. That was intense,” remarked Prompto as soon as the older retinue had walked out of hearing distance.

“I thought you fell asleep the entire time,” teased Gladio.

“No way! I’m not that gullible.” Prompto retorted before softening his expression. “I still can’t believe Lady Lunafreya’s brother ended up rebelling against Niflheim… things must be hard for her, huh?”

“Yeah… I haven't heard again from her since the festival,” pondered Noctis out loud. “I wonder if she's okay.”

“Maybe you should visit her for a change, Noct.”

“Yeah, we’ll help you climb up her balcony or something.”

It was not the kind of topic that you really enjoyed following, so the boys' banters drifted away into the background after a while. Soon enough, your eyes wandered as well, watching the curves in the roof of the Ministerial Palace and their supporting marble pillars. Ultimately, your gaze was locked on the sight of a fluffy white tail shifting in a corner of the hallway. It disappeared after a second, but the memory of it refused to leave you.

“Err, guys… you can go on ahead,” you eventually announced. “There’s… something that I have to look into.”

“Well, I can come with you if you need an extra pair of eyes,” offered Gladio.

“Yes, or simply another well-informed person to make sense of the situation,” Ignis chimed in.

“No! I mean, that’s not really necessary,” you quickly answered. “It’s all fine, really. I don’t need any help. I’ll see you guys at home?”

You didn’t wait until either of them reacted before turning around on your heel. The sound of your steps was echoed by the marbles under your feet.

* * *

As you had suspected, Pryna was waiting for you near the corner where you had spotted her tail.

Sitting in the middle of two marble pillars, she looked like a painting of a gods’ Messenger coming to life. Her angular head tipped to the right as soon as you arrived, short on breath, before she stood up on all four of her paws, stretched, and bounced off.

“Pryna, wait!”

You ran after the spirit-dog. The route that she made you take brought you to one of the wings in the Ministerial Palace that you had never been before, even for the reconstruction committee meeting. Eventually, Pryna slowed down, and you found yourself walking along a smaller, carpeted hallway. Every once in a while, there was a table positioned against the wall, with a vase of fresh flowers on it. Each one of those vases had at least one sylleblossom in them.

At one point, Pryna slipped in a door that had been ajar. You inevitably held back your breath, finally having some idea where the Messenger had guided you. When you pushed it with one hand, the door opened with barely a noise.


	8. The Evenfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“... I am terribly sorry.”_
> 
> _“From the bottom of my heart… for causing you pain.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make the most of the last day of my vacation by being productive and posting another chapter.
> 
> Song lyrics mentioned in this chapter are taken from [midnight love](https://youtu.be/9256X67IQdQ) by girl in red.

The room beyond the door appeared to be an office, flanked by bookshelves and centered around a large desk facing the window. Luna was sitting by that desk with her back facing you, writing. A vase of fresh sylleblossom flowers stood next to the windowsill, filling the room with a sweet smell.

Ahead of you, Pryna padded along and sat on her hind legs next to the desk. The Messenger’s presence was immediately acknowledged, as Luna stopped working on whatever document was on her desk and bent to scratch the spirit-dog’s sides.

“Why, hello, my dear,” she called out with a warm smile. “I see that you have brought along a special guest for me today.”

Feeling called out, you ended up clearing your throat and walked away from the door. The beating of your heart was noticeable inside your ribcage, and there was a small voice in the back of your head that begged you to answer _why?_ You could simply walk away. That would surely make things simpler. Instead, you found yourself taking one step after another, until you were standing mere meters from the chair.

You thought of giving a salute, then. But you changed your mind at the last moment and instead asked, “How are you doing, Lady Lunafreya?”

There was a flicker in Luna’s ocean-blue eyes when she turned to you. Was it disappointment? No… maybe hurt was a more apt description. She placed the pile of papers on one corner of her desk and stood up to her feet.

“I have been well, thank you for asking.”

The formality in her voice wrenched at something inside your chest. At the same time, you were aware that you deserved it. You were the one that started with the formal tone in the first place.

“There have been… more reports of Scourge infections following the Imperial attack, which has kept me rather busy. I am grateful that the First Secretary is lending me an office here at the Ministerial Palace to get my affairs in order.”

You thought of asking about her health, but then thought against it. Somehow, you couldn't shake the feelings that you need to keep things formal between you. "The First Secretary said that the former High Commander avoided capture at a base in Eusciello. Did you know about it?"

Luna turned her gaze in your direction. "I must say I have no knowledge of it until now."

There was a knowing glint in her eyes when she said her answer, and it occurred to you that perhaps the Oracle herself had a part in ensuring her brother's safety. Was that why Claustra didn't bother inviting her to the meeting? You couldn't help but wonder.

At this point, Luna was smiling - a polite curve of her lips that didn't quite touch her ocean-blue eyes. “Well, that is quite enough about me. How are things on your end, Leonis?”

“I’m doing fine,” you replied after a moment’s pause. “I’ve been participating in the reconstruction effort with the rest of the royal retinue.”

“Ah, yes. I should extend my gratitude to you. Thanks to all of you, the Altissians can enjoy a beautiful festival this year yet again.”

“Come on. I don’t think we did as much work as the actual Altissians.”

In the meantime, you took a risk and offered her a smile. “Did you manage to enjoy some of the festivities, at least?”

Luna turned her gaze away, then reached one hand out towards the sylleblossoms. “Why, yes, I got to see some of the city when I accompanied the First Secretary to deliver a welcoming speech.”

“Ah, I see.”

You thought of the last time the two of you took an evening walk together. Luna had told you that it would have been the last time she could take a walk alone in the city. It made you wonder if Luna had missed the freedom that had come with public obscurity. Would it be disrespectful of you to ask? As you pondered on, Luna broke the silence between you.

“I saw you, actually, back at the festival. You were on a gondola… with Noctis’ Shield.”

You looked up and were immediately lost in Luna's ocean-blue eyes. Inside your chest, your heartbeat gradually gained more activity.

"I know that… there is no need for explanation. That you are free to love anyone you want." She trailed off and her gaze dropped to the floor. Then her hand reached up to the left of her chest, right where her heart was. "I just didn't expect that it would be… so difficult."

Both her words and action tugged hard at something inside you. "What do you mean?"

"I know it is all in the past now, but I cannot help but wish to return to how things were."

You stared at her, anger and love welling from somewhere deep inside your chest. "No, Luna. You can't tell me all of this now. It's… unfair."

"Unfair?" Her golden eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes! You can't expect me to live my life being worried about your feelings when you're the one who broke up with me in the first place."

Luna shook her head indignantly. "I asked nothing of that from you."

"Also what about Noctis? Do you think _I_ didn't get jealous that you were clearly in love with him in the entire time that we were together?"

"But _you_ told me you were fine with that!"

"Well, what else was I supposed to say after you told me that you were dying?!"

Silence fell in the room, like a thin fog rolling over the sea. Luna's expression was unreadable. An impatient sigh escaped your lips before you turned on your heel, intending to leave. But you were suddenly stopped by a soft hand that managed to catch your wrist.

“... I am terribly sorry,” she began with a trembling voice. “From the bottom of my heart… for causing you pain.”

"Luna…"

You raised your free hand to her fair cheek, brushing the moisture away. Droplets of them still hung on her eyelashes as she tilted her chin up. A small gasp escaped her the moment you kissed her full on her lips. Her blue eyes fluttered to a close while her hands drifted up to your nape, pulling you closer as the kiss deepened.

Then, at one point, you pulled back from the kiss. Eyes closed, you rested your forehead against Luna's and inhaled in her soft scent of sylleblossoms. It didn't occur to you just how much you had missed it until then.

"Leonis…?" she called out, and you opened your eyes. Then, with a lot of self control, you leaned back in to plant one last gentle kiss on her damp cheek.

"Goodbye, my dear Luna," you whispered. "I'm sure Noctis will make you very, very happy."

You slipped out of her grip quietly and carefully before turning towards the door. A heavy feeling grew inside you with each step that you took against the marble floor.

_"I can't be your midnight love  
When your silver is my gold  
I keep going back for more  
Where there's nothing from before" _

Once you were out of the Ministerial Palace, you found yourself heading straight to Maagho, frazzled and hating yourself.

The sun wasn’t even setting yet, so you could technically still go home. But just thinking of running into Gladio there so soon after everything that just happened was enough to make you feel ill.

You had hoped to see Weskham, but the face that greeted you from behind the bar was young and unidentifiable. "Where is Weskham?" you asked the bartender, short and straightforward. 

"He took the entire day off, Miss. Said he was summoned by the Ministerial Office."

A sigh escaped your lips. Of course he would have taken the day off, you couldn't help but think. All the while, the bartender observed you with a mix of confusion and pity. "... Can I get you anything, by any chance?"

"Yeah… beer."

The answer left you almost like a reflex. As the bartender prepared and served your beer, you couldn’t help but think back on everything that had happened that day - and just how much you had fucked up.

It was not until the bartender gave you a plate of steaming fish dish that your focus finally turned outward. Flashing a mechanical smile, you told him, "Sorry, I didn't order this."

"No, you didn't," agreed the bartender. "But that man ordered it for you."

You followed the direction that the bartender had pointed with his thumb. Before long, your uncle was within your sight, walking over from a nearby barrel-table. At the end of his walk, he took a seat on the bar stool next to yours.

Silence filled in the space between you, which was intermittently interrupted by the chatter of other restaurant customers and the clinking of cutlery. You couldn't get your eyes off of your uncle. There were so many things you wanted to say to him since your escape from Insomnia, but when he was finally in front of you like this, all words escaped you.

As for your uncle, he took one glance at you and let out a huff. "Eat your dinner first. We can talk once you're done."

You nodded obediently but picked up the spoon with some hesitation. Your uncle seemed content to wait as you ate, sipping at his own glass of beer every once in a while.

"Weskham called me after the covenant with Leviathan." His gruff voice broke the stretched silence. "He told me that my presence was needed… by you."

Your heart skipped a beat. A soft tapping sound could be heard as your uncle placed his beer glass on the bar counter. When you turned to him, his eyes were cast down as if in shame. "When I heard about the Tidemother's rage… I couldn't help but think that my rejection to meet you was the last thing you'd ever heard from me. I couldn't live with that."

"Uncle…" You reached out to his hand. Big and calloused - you used to think your uncle's hand must have been the strongest on Eos. "You know I will never hold anything against you or your duty to the Crown."

"I know. You've made it clear from day one." His smile to you then was tinged with fondness. "You were so young, back then - not even tall enough to reach the top of the stove. Do you remember? And look at you now. Shielded the Oracle, and about to invade the Imperial capital by our King's side."

Your uncle turned his hand upward and gave a light squeeze on yours. Warm and firm. "I'm proud of you, little niece. Always has been, and always will be."

It felt like your heart was about to burst at that point. With eyes brimming hot you searched for his blue ones, saying, "Hearing you say that means a lot to me. Thank you, Uncle."

Chuckling, your uncle pulled you in for a hug. You returned the embrace tightly and almost desperately. It hadn't felt real, and you could swear that the hug and all the memory of what had happened would dissipate the moment you woke up from the dream.

But it wasn't a dream, after all. Your uncle was still there at the end of the hug. You smiled wide at him and returned to your food. However, the moment you spooned a big chunk of Aegir's root out of the dish, you got reminded of the afternoon you spent in the fresh produce section of Lestallum's market with Luna. Other memories from that trip followed shortly after, like a flood, eventually ending with the kiss that you just recently shared with the Oracle. Then memories of Gladio made their presence known in your mind, and guilt began to wrench the insides of your stomach.

Eventually, it was your uncle who interrupted your spiralling thoughts by asking, "What's the matter? Food's not good?"

You flashed a smile and answered his question with a shake of your head. In turn, your uncle reacted with a huff. "I can always have a talk with the owner about it, you know?"

That brought out a chuckle from your end. Then, after a moment's pause, "Uncle… why is it that you're never married?"

It was a question that you never asked before in your life. Not even as a curious young teen. You would be lying to say that you never thought of it, though, or even came up with a possible answer yourself. But you had never heard the answer directly from your uncle before.

Next to you, your uncle let out a sigh. "Pretty sure you know the answer already, at this point," he paused to lift his beer glass. "Relationships are hard."

You almost choked on your beer. Out of all things that you could imagine being your uncle's answer, this was definitely not it. And it was also… funny, in a way, to hear those exact words coming straight out of your uncle's mouth.

"Tell me about it…," you remarked at the end. A feeling of endearment washed over you the next time the two of you locked gazes.

By the time your uncle looked away again, it was to let out a quiet huff. "There are only so many vows that you can completely keep in your lifetime. My advice to you, little niece, is to think carefully on which one it should be before actually committing to one. You understand what I mean?"

You stared at your uncle in silence. For a second there, you thought that you could detect regret in his expression. But after you blinked once, it was all gone. Thinking that it was all a trick playing in your head, you nodded in reply.

"Good. Well, I'm going to order another pint. Do you also want more beer with your food?"

"Yeah, sure," you smiled, happy for the change of topic.

Under the swaying candle lights, you could almost see your uncle smile as the two of you received your fresh beer. You returned the gesture before clinking your glasses together - like two grown adults on equal terms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since we last had an Uncle Cor moment and I Missed it.


	9. The Night Watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio mused on his relationship with you as he waited in the Nox Fleuret villa. Then Ignis showed up with an errand from Claustra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a side quest chapter, to be honest. And also a fix-it because I feel like Ignis is not fully shown doing much politicking in the game, which is a real shame.
> 
> Also once again thank you for the new kudos and subscriptions ❤ I hope all of you who are following this fic are still enjoying the story thus far!

Gladio woke up to the sounds of the sea that came in from an open window. He had wanted to close it, but your naked weight on his torso effectively stopped him from leaving the bed. He didn’t mind it so much, though. Settling back on the pillow, Gladio ran his fingers gently along the length of your hair that had spilled to his skin. The sight of it made him wonder whether your hair had grown since the first time he encountered you back in Keycatrich.

How long ago had that been? After everything that had happened, it felt like a different life altogether. 

As his thoughts began to link to one another, Gladio could feel you stir awake. With a pang of guilt, he retracted his hand away. A moment later, your eyes finally settled on his. Slightly unfocused at first, but they eventually sharpened.

“Gladio,” your voice was hoarse from sleep. “What time is it?”

“No idea, love,” he replied. Once again, his fingers were in your hair and eventually your scalp, caressing and massaging. “Probably a good time for you to go back to sleep, though.”

You hummed - partly from considering his suggestion and partly from his hypnotizing massages on your scalp. “And what if I don’t want to?”

“Well… then we need to find a way to bring us both back to sleep.”

“Yeah? Like sex?” you drawled.

He chuckled. “For example.”

You crawled up and captured Gladio’s lips in yours. His chuckles died down and were gradually replaced with approving grunts. Meanwhile, his hands trailed down along your sides, eventually resting snugly on your hips. You sighed into his lips.

“You’re always so considerate with me, aren't you?” you whispered while trailing kisses along his bearded jaw and down his neck. “Such a gentleman.”

Gladio chuckled yet again, though it sounded deeper and heavier this time. “I could be rough, too, if that’s what you prefer.”

“Hmm. That sounds promising.”

You barely finished your sentence when Gladio used his hold on you to shift your positions. Soon enough, you found yourself on your knees, arms held up above your head. A sharp gasp escaped you when Gladio’s free hand, strong and calloused, roamed your lower belly and lifted it up, bringing the cleft of your buttock flush against his hard erection.

“As you wish, m’lady,” he whispered to your ear next. His deep, baritone voice sent a shiver down your spine and straight between your legs. Then you felt his fingers move down to your clit, and any word that you wanted to say was reduced to unintelligible moans.

Gladio moved slowly at first, adjusting his movements to your moans and shivers. At one point, he let go of your wrists to grab a condom on the nightstand. How his past self had remembered to put one on such a convenient spot was an interesting, but rather moot thought as you rocked back impatiently against his erection. Deftly, Gladio unwrapped the plastic packaging, sleeved the condom on, and pushed into you.

Once he bottomed up, Gladio paused, partly to let you adjust and partly to take a breath. He wasn’t entirely serious when he suggested going rough on you. But having experienced just how wet and welcoming you were, how your folds accepted all of his length readily… he almost thought he was going to lose it.

With the last bits of self-control that he still retained, Gladio started to move. One of his hands slipped around your torso to cup at one of your breasts before he leaned in to nip at a sensitive spot on your neck. The distant sounds of the sea were soon replaced with the sounds of your moans and sighs, skin slapping against skin, and the creaking of the wooden bedframe.

At one point, your own body turned taut against his torso. Then a harsh moan left your lips, followed with a delicious tightening of your walls that sent Gladio over the edge. He picked up his pace, his grunts echoing your moans. His own release came after a few more thrusts, sending you both groaning and tangled-stiff against each other.

* * *

"... Shit."

Back in the kitchen of the Nox Fleuret's Altissian villa, Gladio had only realized that he had not moved on from one single line in his book since opening it. His mind had somehow wandered off to the memories of the night that you had spent together in Leville - a regular occurence ever since you had agreed to go on a date with him. It didn't help that on that particular night, after the meeting with Claustra and the older royal retainers, he had stayed up late specifically to wait for you to arrive home.

Putting the book aside on the dining table, Gladio reached to his pocket and fished out his phone. It was only 11PM, but he felt as if it was much later already. Probably because the sun had set at 4PM.

The night was getting longer, and Gladio wasn’t the only one who noticed it. Some people that he met at the reconstruction committee actually mentioned to him once that the longer night must have been punishment from the gods after Niflheim had openly challenged them. If Gladio hadn’t personally witnessed Noctis forming covenants with three Astrals already, he would have thought the theory had sounded like a crazy bogeyman story.

And on top of that, there was also Noctis' prophesied fate.

Was there a link that connected all these occurrences? Or was he just reading too much into things?

Gladio let out a sigh. He was never really good at thinking - much of the strategizing and connecting dots he left mostly to Ignis. But despite it all, he could feel that things were changing _fast_. And if he knew nothing of what he should protect Noctis from, what good would he be as a Shield?

In moments like this, Gladio couldn’t help but look forward to asking his father’s advice. But he was gone, and all that he could think of doing was to turn to the next best thing - which was to seek out a fellow Shield. Or a former Shield, in this case…

At the same time, Gladio worried if he’d asked too much already of you. Sometime during your night together in Leville, amid the warm buzz of afterglow, you had told him all about Nyx Ulric: how your relationship had started and abruptly ended. You were touching the Ring of Lucii the entire time you told the story - the royal jewel hung innocently from a fine gold chain that circled around your bare neck.

Having seen the ring on your naked body for the first time, Gladio couldn’t help but think how sacrilegious it seemed. Then at one point, he remembered how Nyx had used the jewel to summon the Old Wall, and Gladio felt like he had a newfound understanding of how much you had actually sacrificed to bring the jewel to Noctis from halfway across the world. A little sacrilege probably shouldn’t hurt.

… Oh shit, did he really just picture you naked again?

Just as soon as the thought popped up, someone opened the front door of the villa. Gladio jerked up to his feet - a reflex that he had learned from the military. The surprise was eventually replaced by something happier when he noticed it was you who had just arrived.

“Hey, love,” he grinned. “Long day today, huh? Did you go to Maagho?”

Gladio reached down to embrace you and give a quick peck on your lips. He did sense a slight resistance from you, but he figured it must have been from the fact that one of the boys could come down any moment and ran into your little PDA.

“Yeah, I ran into my uncle there and we had dinner and some drinks together.” You smiled at him, but your eyes couldn’t stay focused too long on his amber ones. “It was… nice. I had never had beer together with him before.”

He smiled back at you. “That sounds nice indeed.”

“Hey… Gladio?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s… something that I have to tell you.”

At once, Gladio’s gaze was fully on you. There was confusion in his expression, but he restrained himself from asking you questions, instead letting you first speak what was on your mind. You swallowed thickly, and was barely opening your mouth when a loud creak resounded from the direction of the stairs. Both you and Gladio turned to see Ignis standing over the landing.

“Ah. My apologies,” said Ignis. “I hope I’m not interrupting something important?”

“No… not at all,” you quickly replied. Even without looking, you knew that Gladio’s eyes were on you, but you had no choice but to move on. “Are you looking for anything?”

“I am looking for the two of you, actually,” replied Ignis. “First Secretary Claustra just called. Our help is, apparently, urgently needed in the city.”

At this point, you permitted yourself to glance back at Gladio _._ He nodded in understanding before turning back to Ignis. “Alright. I’ll wake Noctis up. Fill us in on the way, will you, Iggy?”

“That I shall do.”

* * *

“So… let me get things clear here.” Noctis paused for a moment to let a big yawn escape him. “Claustra really just called to ask us to hunt a daemon in the middle of the night - as if we’re her personal hunters or something.”

“Yeah, whatever happened to her army?” Prompto chimed in.

“From what I heard, the Accordon National Guard was hit with the most casualty during the Tidemother’s rage.” Ignis pushed the bridge of his tinted glasses up his nose as he spoke. “Most probably because they didn’t evacuate the city together with the civilians.”

“So we’re the reserve, huh?” added Gladio, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Well, I’d like to see it more as… balancing our positions,” replied Ignis. “The First Secretary has let us lay low and recuperate in her city - that is a big favor. Someday, she’s going to find a way to make us pay, political or otherwise. Now, if we help her save the still-recovering Altissia from a dangerous daemon attack…”

“… Then she can no longer say she owes us a favor for something more political,” you finished the rest of Ignis’ sentence, all the while looking wide-eyed at the royal advisor. “My gods, you really are brilliant, aren’t you, Ignis?”

A small smile graced Ignis’ lips - and you could even dare say that he was blushing, just a little bit. “Thank you. I suppose my uncle had trained me well for my future posting.”

Prompto turned to you. “Seriously, though. Can you imagine Noct ruling a country without Iggy?” 

Noctis visibly pouted. “Geez, Prompto. You just gotta rub it in, didn’t you?”

“Haha, sorry not sorry, Noct!”

You chuckled with the rest of the royal retinue as you continued on walking the cobblestone streets of Altissia. Eventually, you found yourself standing in front of the Secretary’s Estate.

Gladio whistled. “Wow… the daemon is attacking her house specifically?”

“Must have been personal karma,” Noctis drawled before approaching the wrought iron gate. “Come on, guys. The faster we finish this, the faster we go back to bed.”

* * *

As the royal retinue made their way down the basement of the Secretary’s Estate, Noctis suddenly broke the silence by asking, “Say, Leonis. Have you ever tried summoning a weapon from the Armiger yet?”

You gave the young king of Lucis a blank look as reply, which caused Noctis to chuckle. “Well, it shouldn’t be too difficult since you’re already used to using magic. Here, let me show you how it’s done.”

“Eh, sure…,” you replied. "Not sure why my normal dagger isn't enough, but hey."

"It's gonna make things even more fun, promise."

Not long after Noctis pulled you aside, it was Prompto’s turn to elbow the side of Gladio’s arm. “Hey… everything okay with you two?” whispered the blond gunman next. “You don’t seem as lovey-dovey as usual.”

“What? We’re not lovey-dovey.”

“I beg to differ, Gladio,” Ignis murmured next to him.

“... Fine. Maybe a little bit.” Gladio sighed. “I know just as much as you, to be honest. Was hoping to know more when Iggy showed up earlier.”

“Ah, so I was interrupting something.”

“Yeah, well. Don’t tell her that I told you.”

Suddenly, Prompto stopped walking and stood frozen on one spot. “... Wait, guys. Did you… see that?”

Everyone turned to Prompto, followed with Gladio asking, “See what?”

Prompto answered by quietly raising his finger towards a turn ahead of them. Something silver and transparent seemed to move in the air, floating and turning, before it turned into a more solid shape. A very ghostly woman-shape, to be more specific. Its silver eyes blinked once before it turned and disappeared behind a corner, inviting a loud whine from the blond gunman.

“What is it, Prompto?”

Ignis asked the question, but it was Gladio who answered after summoning his greatsword, “It’s the daemon. This way!”

“ _Fucking finally_.”

Noctis jumped ahead, his sword summoned and ready in his hand. You couldn't help but blink at the sight. “Does he always get this excited to go back to bed?”

Ignis sighed while summoning two daggers from the Armiger. “You have got no idea…”

The five of you raced down the dark basement hall until you arrived at a spacious, windowless room. At the very end of the room was a large painting of a beautiful woman wearing a ballroom dress. The silvery wisps were floating around in front of the painting.

“Man, that looks so cool! I wish I hadn’t left my camera,” lamented Prompto.

“A daemon haunting a Lakshmi painting, huh?” Gladio commented, holding his greatsword at ready across his shoulders. “I thought this kind of shit only happens in books.”

“Well, at the very least, the daemon has good tastes,” Ignis added.

“Guys, get out of my way!”

“Wait, Noct!”

You cursed under your breath before dashing after Noctis, who had gone ahead and sprung up to strike at the silvery mist. It dispersed before Noctis’ blade hit home, replaced by a figure of a woman emerging out from the painting. The daemon giggled as it sent two blasts of ray down at Noctis.

“Noctis!!”

You weren’t sure who shouted louder out of the four of you. Or whether it was you or Ignis who managed to cast a transparent Wall to protect Noctis from the worst of the attack. In the end, the young king still ended up getting flung back. Thankfully, Gladio was there to catch him before he hit the stone floor.

“Guys, here it comes!” warned Prompto before shooting several times at the daemon. It growled in what seemed to be pain before morphing into a bigger, more grotesque form. Black miasma floated and spread all around it, while its skeletal arm flexed and swept down in your direction.

Reaching one hand out, your dagger materialized from the Armiger just in time to block the strike. The daemon’s force, however, was still strong enough to send you flying back a couple of meters.

“Leonis!”

Gladio’s shout preceded his jumping up and striking down the entire weight of his greatsword on the daemon’s gigantic skeletal arm. Ignis followed it up with blasts of fire spell, sending the daemon cornered against the painting that it had come from.

“Thanks, guys!” you grunted before tossing your dagger ahead and performing a warp strike. Noctis followed right after you, landing yet another warp strike while the daemon was barely recovering. In the end, the two of you struck the daemon one after one another in a barrage of warps, interspersing fragments of blue lights amid the floating miasma.

“Noct, Leonis, duck!” Prompto yelled. Both you and Noctis dropped down and stayed kneeling while the blond gunman summoned a cannon-like machinery weapon that he used to blast rounds on the daemon.

The daemon roared and slumped back. Black miasma spread out from its body and rose up, dispersing into the air. You rose to your feet and stared warily at the daemon.

“Is it… dead?” Noctis asked next to you. “Did we finally defeat it?”

As you were about to open your mouth, a ball made of silver light appeared to float in the air between you and the daemon. You could barely raise your weapon when the orb shot across the room towards the stairs leading to the exit.

“Shit! The daemon’s getting out.”

You cursed and began to race after the floating orb. At one point, it stopped and shone brighter, filling the entire stairway with blinding light. Wincing, you raised one arm to protect your eyes from the brightness.


	10. The Burning Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is that the kind of story you tell yourself, Ring Bearer? So you can cope with the fact that everyone you love is going to leave you eventually?”

When you finally opened your eyes again, you found yourself outside on one of the smaller squares of Altissia. The sun was shining bright in the sparsely clouded sky, its light reflected by the canal flowing not far away on your right.

There was no one else in sight, except for a woman who stood ahead of you, seemingly admiring the row of blooming orange trees. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back, which was clad in a familiar satin white dress.

“So, we finally met.”

The woman’s voice sounded so much like Luna’s. You could feel your breath catch in your throat upon hearing it. The woman turned and walked towards you, and you could hear your heart knock alarmingly hard against your ribcage. The smiling face that you saw was so much like the Oracle's, but it was not entirely her. It could belong to a sibling, perhaps - or an evil hallucination playing tricks with your mind.

“The renowned Ring Bearer from the legends,” she continued. “I suppose I owe you and the King of Light one for ridding that disgusting creature that had been haunting the painting of my beloved.”

You blinked at the courteous, but harsh words - Luna would never say such a thing, no matter how angry she got. It made you realize that everything that you saw wasn’t real, and the woman standing in front of you was most probably not a human. “Who- what are you, exactly?”

The woman’s laugh was light, like the tinkling of windchimes. “I have lived long enough to bear many names, Ring Bearer. She Who Raised the Waves. The Moon Herself. Mother of the Tides…”

“... Leviathan?”

“If that is the name that you prefer to call me.”

She smiled sweetly at you as your own jaw went slack. Then she turned her gaze away from you and towards the canal. You were speechless for a moment. What was an Astral doing appearing before you? The question hung on the tip of your tongue, but you didn’t dare saying it out loud. Having experienced firsthand the rage of the Hydraean, you didn’t want to risk insulting the goddess by mistake - if she really was indeed who she said she was.

At one point, you cleared your throat and decided to break the silence. “You said that the daemon we defeated was haunting the painting of your beloved?”

“Yes. Humans nowadays call her Lakhsmi, but she used to have a different name when she was still alive.” Leviathan turned towards you. “We were lovers. Much like how you and the Last Oracle were.”

You blushed a deep red at the goddess’ statement, but she barely seemed to notice it as she continued on, “Anyway, did you know that she got exiled from Altissia near the end of her life? All because she pointed out all the corrupt and rotten ways her fellow humans had been treating one another in her art…”

Leviathan walked along the canal as she spoke, forcing you to follow your gaze along with her. “That’s why I’ve given up hope on humanity. Let them perish, I say - as the Infernian had once declared - when the Scourge is set loose upon this world.”

The way Leviathan had stated her opinion was so casual and nonchalant that it brought a chill down your spine. Especially considering that it had come out of none other than one of the Astrals.

“Do you think that’s what Lakhsmi had wanted you to do if she was still alive?” you mustered up the courage to ask the goddess. “There must be a reason why she kept painting… she must have wanted to tell the truth so humanity could be saved from itself. And now you wanted to take that all that away?”

You closed your mouth before you could say any more things that could potentially upset the goddess. In the hindsight, though, it seemed like you were already too late. Leviathan turned her gaze from the water and back at you. Her eyes shone blue like the sea in the middle of the day.

“Is that the kind of story you tell yourself, Ring Bearer? So you can cope with the fact that everyone you love is going to leave you eventually?”

“What? That’s not-”

You wanted to retaliate, but all your words failed to form a coherent thought and faltered before they got out of you. Leviathan’s smile was calm when she resumed, “I saw everything that happened when you were submerged in my holy pool. How devastated you were at losing Nyx Ulric… I wonder what will happen if a similar thing is to occur again.”

“Stop it,” you balked, taking a step back. But the goddess simply walked forward.

“Over and over again, throughout your entire short, meaningless life. One loss following after another.” Her expression softened into something that resembled pity. “I wonder when you will finally break and decide to forsake this world? Just like the Accursed…”

You could feel your hand tremble on your side. But you refused to back down. Staring straight at the goddess, you declared, “I am not weak enough to lash out at the entire world, even when all my loved ones are dead.”

A soft breeze blew by. You could feel it move the chains around your neck. Leviathan’s gaze fell briefly down on the jewel before she returned another smile your way.

“Well, I suppose we shall see how firm your conviction really is very soon.”

You wanted to ask what she meant. But you blinked once, and the second you opened your eyes, you were back again on the dark stairway in the basement of the Secretary’s Estate. There were footsteps rapping against the stairs behind you, followed with four concerned voices calling out your name.

“Thank the gods you’re okay.” Gladio called out your first name before scooping you into a tight hug. You let yourself melt into the embrace, steadying yourself from the disconcerting experience that just occurred before you could face the real world again.

“Hey. Not to disturb you lovebirds, but… where did the daemon go?” Prompto’s question broke the silence.

“It’s… gone now. Don’t worry about it.” You waved him off the moment you pulled yourself away from Gladio. “The silver orb was… something else. I’ll tell you guys all about it tomorrow.”

“Well, I guess it’s time to go back to sleep, guys.” Noctis nodded before stretching and covering a big yawn that was beginning to spill out of his lips. Next to him, Ignis nodded in approval.

“Good job, Noct, everyone. I’ll make sure to inform the First Secretary first thing in the morning.”

* * *

Once all five of you arrived back at the villa, you could barely go back to sleep. Your thoughts kept coming back again and again to the conversation that you had with Leviathan. In the end, you gave up trying to fall asleep and quietly slipped out of the bedroom, careful not to wake Gladio. The light of the moon seeped in from the windows as you made your way through the hallway. Then you headed down the stairs and out to the back garden through the patio doors in the kitchen.

The sea breeze and sounds of the waves greeted you the moment you stepped out of the grass. How much of the sea was actually under Leviathan's control? You couldn't help but think. Did she actually only control the sea or could she also predict the future?

“Can’t sleep, love?”

Your train of thoughts was barely forming when a baritone voice resounded somewhere behind you. You looked over one shoulder and found the King's Shield walking out of the patio doors to stand next to you. The tattoo on his torso was fully displayed under the moonlight.

"Yeah… the moon is too bright tonight." After a moment, you managed to force your attention back to the sea.

Gladio chuckled, short and deep. "You could've just closed the curtain in the room, you know? Unless, you need some help…"

He reached under your arms to circle your waist before stooping in for a kiss. You tilted your chin away, causing his kiss to miss your lips and land instead on your cheek. When he retreated, you could feel Gladio's puzzled eyes on you, but you tried your best to avoid them.

"... The orb from tonight… after we defeated the daemon," you started. "It was actually Leviathan."

Gladio arched his eyebrows. "Really? The Hydraean herself?

"What did she say? Is it the reason why you're still up this late?"

You looked up and saw how genuinely concerned his eyes were as he gazed down on you. Until when would he look at you that way? The thought flashed by before you lowered your eyes and began to tell everything that had happened inside the Secretary's Estate. The sound of rolling waves interrupted you every once in a while, but the hand that held yours was steady.

At the end of your story, Gladio retracted his hand and crossed his arms in front of him. His eyebrows furrowed with contemplation. "I don't really get it… why did she show up, then? Is it to thank us or to warn us?"

"Both, I guess?" You shrugged.

Gladio hummed. "And you're worried that what she said would come true? That you'll forsake the world given enough grief?"

You didn't know what to answer, so you looked away. Gladio stepped forward and gave your hand a squeeze.

"I'm not going to leave you, if that's what you're worried about," he said firmly. "You can be sure of that."

"How can you be so sure?" Your voice came out cracked. "Back in Insomnia, your father died protecting King Regis. What if-"

Gladio called out your first name again, shortly before pulling you flush against him for a kiss. You felt your tears stream down as you kissed him back. Then you pulled away abruptly.

"Don't," you balked. "Stop comforting me, Gladio. Please. I don't deserve it."

His smile to you was patient. "You keep saying that, but-"

"I kissed Luna," your interruption was sharp against his soft coaxing. "As it turns out, I still have feelings for her after all."

You looked straight into Gladio's amber eyes. At the very least, you were obliged to give him as much. "That's why... I don't think we should continue seeing each other anymore."

If you had stayed longer, you probably could hear and see what his reaction would be. As it was, you could only hear him calling out to you as you made a dash towards the patio door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case any of you were wondering: yes, I used Stella as reference for Leviathan.


	11. After the War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the conversation with Gladio, you fled the Nox Fleuret villa with no clear destination in mind. Thankfully, Weskham was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song lyrics in this chapter are from [In Our Bedroom After the War](https://youtu.be/c5qx_ZMY7tU) by Stars.
> 
> It is a post-breakup chapter, but I tried to make it not too angsty or sappy. I hope I managed to achieve that.
> 
> I also have had this headcanon for a while where Noctis is good with written words, but awkward with spoken ones (it may or may not be my own personal projection lol), and I'm so happy I finally can use it in this chapter.

When he arrived to open Maagho that morning, the last thing that Weskham had expected to see was Cor Leonis’ niece waiting for him in the empty restaurant space.

And yet, there you were, crumpled half-asleep by the lightless bar counter. A rucksack laid close to your feet, containing a couple change of clothes and some supplies that were left over from your travel through Lucis.

Instead of greeting you, Weskham decided to take a walk around the bar. Then he turned on the coffee machine and placed two clean cups underneath. The mechanic hiss resounded not long after, jolting you awake. Weskham seemed to notice this as he threw a half-apologetic, half-amused smile your way.

“Would you like some coffee, my dear?” he asked. “Perhaps with a dash of whiskey? You seem to need it.”

You sighed and pinched at the knot between your eyes. “Maybe without the alcohol for now… what time is it, by the way?”

“Exactly a quarter to 11,” Weskham replied. “The sun rose around fifteen minutes ago. Rather worrying how it's rising later and later nowadays…”

You hummed your thanks while taking your coffee from Weskham’s outstretched hand. The warmth of the cup on your palm and the strong coffee scent soothed an ache inside you that you didn’t know existed. After a couple of sips, you were finally awake enough to register that the older man was giving you a curious gaze.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened? Or do you prefer I charge you for the coffee, instead?” he asked.

You smiled into your coffee. Both offers sounded tempting, but you figured Weskham at least deserved to know the truth. After all, you did just crash uninvited at his restaurant for the night.

“I just dumped the Shield of the King.” You tried to sound casual, but was immediately betrayed by the clatter of your coffee cup hitting the saucer when you dropped it a tad too hard. “So I need to… abscond for a bit, I think. Lay low somewhere until things die down a little.”

You saw the concern on Weskham's expression and immediately regretted your choice in telling the truth. Nevertheless, it was done. No way to turn back around.

“Have you found a place to stay in the city, by any chance?”

You thought of staying at Leville Hotel, but then remembered that you had spent a night there with Gladio. It was also the reason why you hadn’t gone there last night, and instead wandered aimlessly around the city until you ended up at Maagho.

Wordlessly, you shook your head. Weskham let out an audible sigh before taking long gulps from his own cup.

“Well, let me know once you’re done with your coffee, darling. I have something to show you.”

* * *

The guest room at Weskham's apartment was small, but it didn't feel at all cramped. There was a single bed, a small bedside table, and a little closet with a mirror. On one of the walls, there was a window facing a canal that you had never seen before. It wasn't as wide as the canal by the villa, but still had its own beauty. There was a small garden on the other side of the canal, with a small fountain in the middle where a couple of sparrows could be seen bathing and playing.

"It's not much, but at least you could sleep in an actual bed," explained Weskham. "Feel free to use anything in here. The bathroom is at the end of the hallway to the left. You need to fix dinner yourself, but I'm usually up at 7AM making breakfast, so you're very welcome to join."

"Thank you," you told him sincerely. "I mean… I don't know what else to say. You didn't have to do so much for me."

Weskham just shrugged. "I'm of the opinion that who and how I want to extend a helping hand to is entirely up to me."

"Fair enough."

His smile to you then was full of endearment. "Well, I'm going to have to go back to the restaurant now. If you need anything, you know how to call me."

You thanked Weskham again and saw him off the door. Once he left, you dropped your rucksack and threw yourself down onto the bed. There was water dripping into the canal outside somewhere, and you found the sound calming. The sun's reflection on the water was projected on the ceiling right above you.

Well, here you were again. Alone and unattached. All that you had left was your work and duty.

Maybe this time, you could _finally_ do something right.

_"Wake up, say good morning to_  
_That sleepy person lying next to you_  
_If there's no one there then there's no one there_  
_But at least the war is over"_

The morning after you were gone, Noctis found himself in the middle of what used to be the Totomonstro Arena.

How did he end up there, exactly? Well, if he wasn’t too busy blocking and parrying Gladio’s giant sword every other second, he would probably be able to think long enough to answer.

“Too slow, Noct!” shouted Gladio before pushing forward, sending Noctis skidding back a couple of meters on the stone floor. “We’re going to Gralea in less than a week. Do you really think your weak and slow ass is going to get you out of there alive? Just 'cause we got your back it doesn't mean you should slack around!”

Noctis gritted his teeth. “I know that, alright?”

“Sure you don't. Go sit this one down and let that sink in that stubborn head of yours.”

Gladio then turned the other way. “Prompto, your turn. Show me all that you got.”

Prompto shrieked. “W-what do you mean? I thought it was only Noct today who-”

“Bullshit. We are _all_ going to Gralea. It beats the point if Princess here is the only one training.”

“Yeah, but- aaaah!”

Noctis winced and looked away as Gladio began charging towards Prompto with everything that he got. He turned his attention towards Ignis, just in time to see the older man wipe away sweat from his eyebrows. It didn't look like it from the outside, but Noctis knew that Ignis was just as beat as he was.

Noctis snickered. "Gladio didn't even hold back on you, huh?"

"Well, I suppose it can also be looked the other way: it seems that I am no longer the fragile exception in this group anymore," replied Ignis lightly before handing Noctis a bottle of water.

"Thanks," mumbled Noctis, pausing to take gulpfuls from the bottle. His gaze followed Prompto around the arena as he evaded blows after blows that Gladio sent his way, shooting his gun every once in a while. The blond marksman moved so quickly it almost looked like he was warping. It was quite impressive.

"I wonder until when Gladio will be moody like this," Noctis thought out loud. "Like, what's his problem, seriously?"

Ignis hummed next to him. "It may have something to do with Leonis. I happened to overhear them talking last night."

"Yeah, were they fighting or something?"

Noctis turned, attention piqued. But Ignis' unseeing eyes looked straight ahead of him. "Well, I received a call from Weskham this morning. He said she would be staying with him for a few days."

Noctis' eyes widened. "Oh. That doesn't sound good."

"Indeed. I had thought things were going well between them."

"Yeah, didn't expect that for sure."

Noctis turned again to Prompto, then winced as the blond marksman somersaulted away from an especially strong slash of Gladio's greatsword. That was definitely way to close.

"Iggy, do you think we should maybe… you know." He scratched the back of his head, trying to find the perfect word to describe what he meant. "... Do an intervention, somehow?"

He heard Ignis sigh. "Normally I wouldn't be in favor of it. But at this rate, Gladio is going to run all of us down before we even reach the Imperial shores."

Noctis winced yet again as Prompto got hit square in the chest by Gladio's shield. "Oh, yeah. I can totally see that happening."

"But which one of one us should go? That will be the next problem."

"Hmm… good question."

Both Noctis and Ignis watched the spar before them for a few moments more, contemplating. Then, slowly, an idea began to form in their minds.

* * *

Prompto couldn't believe how unfair it all was.

When Noctis and Ignis told him about the plan to visit you at Weskham’s place, everything had already been planned out. Ignis was going to bake a pie, Noctis was going to write a letter, and Prompto was supposed to deliver them both to you. There was not even a discussion beforehand - like why couldn’t he write the letter instead of Noctis? Granted, Noctis’ handwriting was better than his, but still…

Prompto let out a long sigh. Then, he straightened up his back, just like how he remembered it from the Crownsguard’s training. He pulled out his phone next to check the number on the door with the address that Ignis had given him. When that matched, Prompto stepped forward to press the doorbell.

It took a few moments until the door opened. Prompto held in his breath, and then let it out again upon realizing that it was you who stood behind the door.

“Prompto?” You blinked, clearly not having expected to see him. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Leonis… how are you doing? It’s, uh, been a while.”

Prompto wanted so bad to kick himself in the shin for sounding so awkward. Instead, he cleared his throat and backtracked a bit, “I brought a pie, by the way. Ignis baked it.”

You were left with no choice but to accept the box that Prompto offered to you. The bottom was still warm, and even though it was closed, the smell was divine.

At first, you wondered where in Altissia did Ignis manage to find such a box to wrap his pie in. But on a second thought, you decided that it was a pointless question to ask a man who could bake cookies as good as the ones you had in Leville using nothing more than camping equipment.

"Ah, before I forget about it - this is from Noctis," announced Prompto before placing a white envelope on the pie box. On the front side of the envelope was your full name, written in a delicate cursive font. If Prompto hadn't told you that it was from Noctis, you probably would have assumed that Ignis had written it.

A genuine smile made its way to your lips. “Thanks, Prompto. Do you want to come in and taste the pie over tea?”

His bright blue eyes widened. “Ehh, sure, if Weskham doesn’t mind…”

“He’s at the restaurant now, but even if he’s here, I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“Oh. Okay, then.”

“Yeah. Come on in.”

You stepped back to let Prompto in, and eventually led him to the dining table. It took you a couple of minutes to find the shelf where Weskham stored the plates and cutlery. With Prompto's help, you set them up on the table together with the pie and began to dig in.

The pie was delicious, with pears and walnuts as its fillings. You could ardly expect less from Ignis. And thanks to the pie, the rest of your chat with Prompto wasn't so awkward anymore. He told you how Ignis had baked the cake from scratch without anyone's help for the first time. Then he described the harsh training that Gladio made him and the other boys went through, as preparation for Gralea.

And you… well, you ended up spilling everything that was burdening your mind. The prophesied death of Noctis. The feelings that you had for both Luna and Gladio. The helplessness that you felt when you watched Insomnia burn and Nyx warp away to fight to his death, and how that same helplessness follows you every time you think of Noctis' fate.

At the end of your pitiful tirade, Prompto was silent. He sat crossing his arms on the dining table, seemingly digesting every word that you had said. You steeled yourself for his confrontation about Noctis' possible death, but instead, all that he said was, "Wow, that's just… a _lot_. I think if I were you, I would want to just pack up and go somewhere secluded, too."

You let out a hollow chuckle. "Well, I still plan on going to Gralea with you guys. I just… need some time to sort out my thoughts. Refocus on my duties, so to say."

Prompto hummed. Then something in his blue eyes lit up. "Ah, almost forgot. There's another thing that I need to give you."

Prompto reached into his pocket, pulled out a photograph, and placed it down on the table between the two of you. You picked it up and saw that it was a selfie that both of you had taken on your first reconstruction outing together by the statue of the Tidemother. There were doves flying all over the background, making the photo look somewhat ethereal.

By the time you looked at Prompto again, the smile that he had given you was as warm as the spring sun. "I hope next time we can take another selfie like this together - all five of us."

You nodded, feeling the warmth traveling from your chest to the back of your eyeballs. "That sounds like a very good idea, yeah."

By the time you saw Prompto off, he gave you one of the tightest hugs that you had ever received in your adult life.

"Sorry for everything that has happened to you, Leonis. I had no idea," he muttered. "I know you must feel obligated to come back… but take all the time that you need, alright?"

You grinned and hugged him tighter. "I will. Thanks a lot, Prompto. Please say hi to everyone."

"Will do!"

* * *

Settled down on Weskham's couch, with a piece of Ignis' pie on your lap, you started to read the letter from Noctis more carefully. The first thing that caught your attention was how Noctis described the moment he noticed your absence, likening it to seeing a sea that had no waves. 

You would be lying to say that you weren't surprised. Having seen how Noctis stumbled through his words so often, you hadn't expected that he would be much more articulate in his writing. Perhaps exchanging a notebook with Luna over the past decade was a good exercise, you thought.

You resumed reading through the apologies, compliments on how well you worked together with the rest of the retinue. How they were all sorry that you missed their training together. Then, you reached the part that described Gladio refusing to sleep in the room that you had shared together. That he acted as if nothing was wrong but he trained just a little bit harder and longer than usual.

You had to take a pause to gather yourself after reading that passage. The vision of Gladio under the starry sky, left alone in the middle of the garden, caused you to feel warmth bubbling up from your chest to your eyes.

Nevertheless, you managed to read through the rest of the letter without spilling a single tear. Noctis closed the letter with assurance that you could come back anytime, that he'd even try to ask Claustra to postpone the departure to Gralea if it turned out that you needed more time to resolve things with Gladio.

The crystal can wait, he wrote. And Insomnia isn't moving anywhere.

A dove landed on the windowsill and purred. You glanced at it briefly before eyeing the very last line in the letter, just above Noctis' beautiful cursive signature.

_Let's go home together, all five of us._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P. S.: I derped and clicked Post when I should have clicked Save As Draft, so... surprise chapter update!


	12. The Darning of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feeling encouraged by Prompto's visit, you decided to give Gladio a call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song lyrics mentioned in this chapter are taken from [Mystery of Love](https://youtu.be/4WTt69YO2VI) by Sufjan Stevens.

The connecting tone rang on for about a minute. You waited patiently, half expecting that you would be redirected to the voicemail. Part of you wouldn't complain if that was indeed the case, but another part wished you could just get this done and over with.

However, just as the thought flashed in your mind, the call was picked up, and you immediately heard Gladio murmuring in his signature baritone, "Hello?"

Your heart jumped a little. After a moment of panic silence, you replied with, "Hi, it's me."

More silence followed before you heard a sigh. "Yeah, I know. What's up?"

You licked at your lips, not really expecting the conversation to turn so quickly to the point like this. "I'm calling because… I think you deserve an explanation," you managed to say. "Do you have some time to meet and… talk?"

More silence stretched out, and you found yourself holding your breath the entire time. Eventually, Gladio said, "Sure. Do you have a place in mind?"

You let go of the breath that you were holding and told him the name of a cafe that you thought would be good to meet up at. Gladio simply agreed, and you both ended the call amiably without too much fuss.

Once the call was over, you dropped down on the bed in Weskham's guest room and stared at the reflection of the water on the ceiling. It occurred to you then that you had forgotten to ask how Gladio was doing.

You closed your eyes and tried not to overthink just how careless you must have sounded over the phone.

_"Shall I sleep within your bed  
River of unhappiness   
Hold your hands upon my head   
Till I breathe my last breath"_

The cafe was located on a square that was facing a waterfall, and it took you a full minute after arriving there to realize that it was the same square where you had thrown up not long after having arrived in the city.

Thinking back on the memory made you feel sick in the stomach. But at the same time, you didn't have the heart to call Gladio and tell him to change the meetup place. It should be okay, you told yourself. Maybe the talk would already be over before you knew it.

Then Gladio showed up, and you seriously thought you were going to throw up then and there.

You steeled yourself before raising your hand to get his attention. Gladio noticed you immediately and strolled in the direction of your table. There was an ease in his movements that made your heart ache.

"Hey," you offered a smile. "Thank you for taking the time to come."

"Don't worry about it," he said before looking around. "It's a nice place here."

"Yeah," you replied, glad for the distraction. "Have you been here before?"

"Don't think so, no," he answered.

"Ah, okay."

Silence fell between you, interrupted only by a waiter approaching to take your orders. The sun was shining and its lights were reflected on the waterfalls and the surface of the canal. From somewhere in the distance, a seagull screeched.

"So…," you licked at your lips, not really knowing where to start. "How are you doing, Gladio?"

You saw one of his eyebrows perked slightly up, just for a second. He eventually answered with a shrug, "I'm doing fine. Been keeping busy with the boys."

"Right. Prompto told me you've been running them ragged at the Arena."

"Yeah, well. It was all his own fault."

The conversation took a pause when both of your orders arrived. You took your drink and thanked the waiter, which Gladio did as well. For a moment afterwards, both of your focuses were mostly directed to your drinks. The drink helped with your nausea, you soon found out, and you felt immensely glad for having ordered it.

"You don't need to worry, you know. About breaking my heart," said Gladio calmly. "You should know by now that I can take some beating."

You didn't immediately answer him. Looking up, you had expected that Gladio would be facing you, but instead he was gazing at the waterfalls. A soft breeze was blowing by, past the tip of his hair, and you couldn't help but think back on the time you ran your fingers through those dark strands a few nights ago.

You turned your attention away once again. "I know you do. But you still deserve an explanation."

You heard him let out a sigh. "Alright, then. Let's hear it."

It took a moment for you to take in a breath and then let it go again.

"I've… thought of it a lot recently, and I think that… maybe it's better if I shouldn't be in a romantic relationship, after all." You couldn't help but lower your gaze as you spoke. "I don't think I was ever good for it, even back in Insomnia. And after hearing what the Hydraean said, about what I can be capable of… I think it only makes perfect sense."

"Wait, hang on." At this point, Gladio furrowed his brows. "But I thought you were going to get back with Lady Lunafreya?"

"Oh. No, not at all," you waved one hand. "Not that I could anyway, in the first place. She'll be our queen."

There was more silence following your answer, which Gladio eventually broke by asking, "So... basically you just want to be single forever?"

You took a long breath in. "In short... yeah."

"Because essentially, when it boils down to it, you're scared of having your heart broken again?"

You stared at Gladio quietly, having sensed the barb in his voice. You opened your mouth to voice your denial, but then closed it again. He noticed it, and let out a tired sigh.

"I'm not mad about it, you know, if that's really the case," he resumed softly. "I just wish you could own up to it more, and not blame it on gods or fate, or what have you."

You couldn't say anything back to that, so all you could do was drop your gaze and mutter a low, "Sorry…"

Gladio chuckled dryly. "Nah, don't be. What's done is done."

The next couple of minutes saw the two of you finishing up your drinks. All the while, you couldn't help but think just how mature Gladio was handling things. It almost made you forget that he was actually the younger one out of you two.

At one point, you heard Gladio remark, "Looks like the sun's about to set."

You turned from your drink and saw the waterfall and the canal were reflecting the orange sunset. It was barely 4PM.

"The night's getting longer and longer, huh?" you observed.

"Yeah. There're reports, too, about daemon sightings in the city. Guess the night getting longer makes that even more possible."

You hummed. At the same time, Gladio placed his empty glass on the table, creating a soft thudding sound. "If you want, I can walk you back home to Weskham's."

Logically, you knew that you should decline the offer. After all, it wasn't as if you needed help defending yourself against a few daemons prowling the city streets. But after having seen Gladio sit across the table from you, with his amber eyes glowing in the sunset, you couldn't help but feel that it would be the last time that you could see him like this.

So of course, what you actually answered was, "Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks, Gladio."

"You're welcome."

_"How much sorrow can I take?_  
_Blackbird on my shoulder_  
_And what difference does it make_  
_When this love is over?"_

The entire walk back to Weskham's was spent mostly in silence. The sun was soon gone from the sky, replaced by a waxing moon. And although it didn't give as much light as a full moon, it was still enough for you to spot fresh cobblestones on the street and new wooden planks on a pier ahead.

"Lots of repairs have been done around here," you remarked.

"Yeah, they did a great job," replied Gladio. "Maybe by the time we come back to Altissia, the city will look like it did when we just arrived."

You hummed. "Maybe."

Silence fell between the two of you afterwards. In a way, the walk felt familiar - it was a lot like the walk that you shared with Gladio after the both of you had sparred in Totomonstro.

But, at the same time, it felt completely different. There was more distance between you and Gladio this time around - and it was more than just in physical sense. It felt as if the both of you were holding back from completely reaching out to one another, fearing what could possibly happen next.

Eventually, you caught the sight of Weskham's entrance door and couldn't feel more relieved. Turning to face Gladio, you finally broke the silence to say, "Well, thanks again for walking me."

"Don't mention it," replied Gladio. "Guess I'll see you around at the departure ceremony?"

"Yeah…" You nodded. Then, not wanting to end the meetup on such a somber note, you added, "Good luck with waking Noctis up in time for the ceremony."

Gladio chuckled, then grimaced. "Yeah… we're probably gonna need a lot of that."

More silence. You should have turned to the door, perhaps, and let Gladio make his way back to the Nox Fleuret villa. But what you did instead was tilt your chin up and stare straight into the Shield's eyes.

"Gladio?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you regret ever saying that you'd wait for me?"

"... Why are you asking that?"

"Because... I need to know. But only if you want to answer it."

Gladio sighed, and then hummed. Both of his arms were soon crossed in front of his chest. "Well, can't really say I did."

You kept your gaze on him, all the while realizing just how fast your heart beat was becoming. "Are you really sure?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Gladio uncrossed his arms and told you with the surety of the sun rising from the east and setting in the west. "It's what I really felt back then. I'm not going to deny that it was ever the case."

You took one step forward, then looked back up at him. At this point, you were close enough that you could have leaned in and kissed him. "And what do you feel now?"

Gladio didn't reply, but you knew enough to make your own conclusion. Reaching one hand out, you rested it at the back of his neck, causing some strands of his hair to brush against your fingers. The closeness of your face with Gladio's was a side effect that you only recognized in the hindsight, but you steeled yourself and resumed on.

"There are only so many vows that you can keep in this lifetime, Gladio," you muttered. "I think… both of us know which one should be your priority."

It was Gladio who pulled back first. You had braced yourself to see him hurt or disappointed, but there was neither on his expression. Instead, there was a smile - small and resigned.

"I know that," he said. "Noct… he needs us now more than ever, huh?"

"Yeah... he does."

"Right."

You let go of Gladio and half-expected him to stop you, but he didn't. Subconsciously, you licked at your lips and took a step back, keeping your gaze down to the ground all the while. "... Well, goodnight, then, Gladio."

"Goodnight, Lioness."

Both of you turned around at the same time, facing two different directions. Then at one point, the door of Weskham's apartment closed behind you with a final, resounding click.

_"Oh, oh woe-oh-woah is me  
The last time that you touched me   
Oh, will wonders ever cease?   
Blessed be the mystery of love"_

A few hours later, you found yourself half-submerged in water in Weskham's bathroom, thinking back on what had happened. You said everything that you needed to say to Gladio, but why did you still have this lingering feeling that something was missing?

Well, whatever it was, it shouldn't be so important, you concluded. From then on until the rest of your life, all that you had to do was focus on your duties. Just like your uncle.

It would all be for the best, after all. You told yourself this as you further submerged yourself in the warm, fragrant water, hoping that the bath would help calm your burning mind as it did your shivering body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this count as mutual pining? Someone please enlighten me.


	13. The Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an unexpected turn of events, you met a familiar face at Maagho - and then proceeded to get dragged into performing a funeral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another side quest chapter. Yay. I missed Crowe so much ngl.
> 
> Also this chapter is dedicated to all of you who follow this series because of The Last Glaive. Thank you so much for all your support ❤

The next day, during breakfast, you told Weskham that you wanted to help him out at the bar as a way to pay him back for letting you stay at his place for as long as you did. Weskham told you not to bother, in the beginning. Although he did call you later that night, after the last diners left, to help out with cleaning up the place.

You hardly minded the arrangement - having to mop the floor was probably a better job for you than serving customers, after all. Besides, the chores helped you relax. You could turn off your thoughts and just focus on your task. The whole world was reduced to the patch of floor that you were scrubbing at one moment, and nothing else mattered.

Then, suddenly, a familiar tip of a boot came onto the said floor patch that you were focusing on.

You looked up, dazed, and saw a recognizable face staring back. Her long chestnut hair was fastened haphazardly on top of her head, while her arms were both crossed in front of her chest.

"What's this?" One dark eyebrow was flicked up. "The niece of the Immortal Marshal Leonis, scrubbing at the floor of some Altissian restaurant?"

Objectively speaking, it wasn't such a long time ago since someone last teased you with your family name, but you felt as if it had happened in another life. Strange that some words that used to affect you greatly only a couple of months ago somehow had no effect on you anymore.

You smiled wide. "Crowe. How did you get here?"

"With a boat, of course," she drawled. "I mean, I suppose I could hijack an airship, too. But what's the fun in that?"

As she spoke, Crowe walked towards the bar. With one hand, she carefully brushed along a deep scratch on the wood. "I came here fully expecting that the entire city had been reduced to rubble… fortunately, I was proven wrong."

You had the urge to ask if she was comparing Altissia with Insomnia, but you didn’t voice it out loud. Instead, you lowered your gaze and asked, "What do you want to drink, Crowe? It's on the house."

"Hmm. Whiskey would be nice."

"Alright. Coming right up."

You dropped the mop into the bucket and went around the bar. At the same time, Crowe pulled out a nearby bar stool and sat down. You placed a clean glass in front of her, freshly out of the washing tray, and poured one of Weskham’s vintage single barrels. Its fragrant wood scent escaped the balmy night air before Crowe took a quick swig of it and grimaced.

“Damn, that one was smooth as fuck,” she declared. “Shouldn’t have chugged it.”

You chuckled. “Yeah, sorry. I should have probably warned you.”

After placing some gils under the whiskey bottle, you went to get two glasses of water - one for Crowe and another for yourself. As the two of you took big, audible gulps of water, your eyes never really left Crowe from beyond the rim of your glass.

Soon enough, Crowe broke the silence with a sigh. “Just spit it out already, Leonis. Your thinking is getting way too loud.”

You raised your eyebrows. “If it really is that loud, then I don’t have to actually speak it, do I?”

“Heh. You really think you’re funny, don’t you?”

Crowe finished the rest of her water in a couple of gulps, then placed down her glass on the counter with a loud thud. “What if I told you that I came here all the way from Galahd?”

Your smile faded as quickly as Crowe’s began to grow. She shook her head. “You’re so fucking transparent, don’t you know that?”

You shrugged. “Why do you care?”

Her chestnut eyes held yours for a full moment. “Because I know you lied, back in Insomnia. About Nyx.”

You said nothing. Meanwhile, Crowe reached behind the counter and helped herself to another portion of whiskey. This time, she took her time in sipping it.

“Well. At least Libs believed in it,” she said. “Either you were believable enough to some degree, or he was just deluding himself.”

Crowe stared down at the golden-brown liquid. Her expression was unreadable. “That’s why I left him back in Galahd. I want to help the world that _he_ left for us, Leonis. But Libs… he just couldn’t see through his grief.”

Silence fell all over both of you. There was only the sound of water softly lapping at the floating platform beneath your feet. From far away, in the dark canals, an owl hooted.

You took the whiskey bottle on the bar counter and poured some liquid into your own glass. Raising it to Crowe’s eye level, you muttered, “For hearth…”

Crowe’s gaze on you was hard and almost glassy. Yet, she still raised her own glass to yours. “... and home.”

You both took a swig off each of your glasses, smoothness be damned. Then, someone - either you or Crowe, you couldn’t quite remember - poured some more whiskey into both your glasses, and you took in the shot all over again.

And then again.

And again.

* * *

After the fourth or fifth glass, Crowe pulled something out from under her leather jacket. You froze upon glimpsing the curved steel and the Galahdian beads trailing the handle while she put it gently on the bar counter between you.

“I found it while scavenging in Insomnia,” explained Crowe. “It was just… lying off the side of the road. Like someone forgot it on the way to work, or something.”

You hummed. “Yeah. Or tried to warp up a Niffs airship and failed.”

Carefully, you held the kukri’s handle in your hand and lifted it up to your eyes. The candle lights were reflected on the carved steel and beaded ornament. There were writings on the blade, but you couldn’t read it nor recognize where it was from. Galahdian, perhaps?

“When I found it, it’s actually when I finally realized that Nyx had died,” Crowe said. “I mean, I already knew that he died, because you’re such a bad liar. It just… took me a while to convince myself to accept the truth.”

You placed the kukri gently back on the counter. In turn, Crowe pushed it in your direction. "You should hold on to it," she said. "He would have wanted it."

A knot was beginning to form between your brows. "Why? You're his family."

"Yeah, well. He'd wanted it used to protect Lucis, I think."

Silence fell between you. Carefully, you reached towards the kukri, and then looked back up to Crowe. “Do you think they’ll ever make a state funeral for him? After the war’s over.”

Crowe shrugged. Then, with a suddenly serious tone, she told you, “Why don’t we make one now? We don’t need to wait until after the war.”

You stared at Crowe.

And you just so happened to be tipsy enough to say yes.

* * *

The Galahdians had a much different culture than the rest of Lucis, and that included their funeral rites. Or so you understood from what Crowe told you.

On the other hand, you were aware that she could be making shit up and told you random things just for the fun of it.

But at that point in time, you were too far gone to care. Standing waist deep in the canal water, you tried your best to copy Crowe's movements. The water was cold and you were sure you were going to catch something by the time you were done - or hangover, whichever would reach you first.

"Alright, now we take a minute's silence to remember the dead," announced Crowe eventually. "And then, quietly say goodbye to them."

You stood still and closed your eyes, trying to picture Nyx. His smirk came first to your mind, then his frown. Then his hand stretched out, offering you to dance, once upon a time in a dream. You imagined accepting it - and then saying your goodbye.

When the minute passed, you placed Nyx's kukri on both of your hands before solemnly casting the spell that sent the weapon off into the Armiger. It disappeared in a scattered blue light that dispersed upon touching the water surface.

Both you and Crowe made your way out of the canal not long afterwards and sat down on its edge. The water lapped under your feet and you listened to it listlessly while admiring the night vista.

“You know…” When you finally opened your mouth again, it felt dry. “I actually met Nyx when I was almost drowning in Leviathan’s pool.”

“Really?” Crowe’s tone was neutral, without sarcasm or doubt. “How’s he doing?”

“Quite well, I guess, all things considered. He said he was looking after you and Libertus.”

“That dumbass…”

Crowe paused for a moment before continuing, “He had always wanted children, you know? At least two - a girl, and a boy to protect the girl.”

“Really?” It was your turn to be openly surprised. “I wouldn’t have guessed. He always charged ahead of the battle like a lunatic.”

“I know right? But I got him drunk once and he admitted that he couldn’t wait to have no more war so he could safely raise his future son and daughter.”

“... Just how drunk did you get him, exactly?”

“Enough.”

From a corner of your eyes, you saw Crowe direct her gaze up to the sky. “I wonder if people get drunk on grief, too. Just refusing to let go and revel in the sadness.”

You hummed. “Maybe.”

You thought of your mother, then. How she kept the grief from losing your father so close to her for all those years, and how she told you that she believed the grief was a proof that she had loved and was loved deeply.

“I don’t know if I can live like that, though,” you announced. “I think… I’d rather be out there and do the next right thing.”

“But of course.” Crowe scoffed. “You’re out here after all, aren't you? Running a royal mission for our beloved king.”

“And you’re not, Crowe?”

You turned and saw her flashing a small and wistful smile. “I probably shouldn’t, considering how much I fucked up my last one.”

You hummed. “Yeah, well… technically that was my mission, too, you know.”

Silence fell again as you resumed on watching the dim canal, up until the both of you decided that it was a good time to leave.

* * *

“What made you come to Altissia, of all places, Crowe?”

“Your viral video, of course. It made me miss all the actions.”

"What? Seriously?"

Crowe threw a smirk as an answer, and you knew not to pry further. You thought briefly of your uncle, and whether it was a coincidence that the both of them happened to arrive in Altissia around the same time. But hesitation creeped in before you could actually ask your questions out loud.

And so, silence stretched on between you and Crowe as the two of you walked down the dimly lit cobblestone street. After a while, when you finally felt ready to break the ice, you licked at your bottom lip. "So… what are you going to do now?"

Crowe shrugged. "I can join the rebuilding efforts, I guess. Or try to get employed at the Oracle's office."

"Ah. Aiming to be the next Shield of the Oracle?"

"Yeah, somebody's gotta pick up after your slack before you run off gods-know-where to the danger."

You chuckled. At one point, both of you arrived at a fork. Crowe stopped walking and offered her hand, which you shook.

"Take care, Leonis," she said. "Try to make it back alive, wherever you're going."

"You, too, Crowe," you replied. "And I hope you and Libertus will meet again and patch things up."

Crowe’s smile to you was wider this time. "Thanks. I hope so, too."


	14. Omnis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I just want to let you know that… I'm quite ready now to hold onto the Ring of Lucii."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long chapter ahead. You have been warned.

The sun was barely peeking from above the curved roof of the Cathedral of Altissia, casting long shadows on the square and canals in front of it. You stood under such shadow at attention, with Prompto to your left and Noctis to your right. Behind you, a crowd had formed, murmuring and craning necks. Once in a while, you heard the clicking of cameras as well. You could feel the blitzes on your back almost as if they had sparked before your very eyes.

At one point, you could hear Noctis inhale and exhale audibly. You glanced to the right and saw just how tense he was. Sympathy rose inside of you as you returned your gaze back to your front.

"You'll be fine, Noct," you heard Gladio say. And even though you were not the intended recipient, his baritone voice still managed to shoot a tingle up your spine. "Just remember what Iggy told you."

In a corner of your eyes, you saw Noctis nodding. You would have wanted to tell him some more encouragement, but the voices and camera flashes behind your back suddenly grew busier. The ceremony was about to start, and the main participants were all present.

From inside the Cathedral, Luna emerged along with First Secretary Claustra and the other Accordon officials - half of them you had met once or twice before in a reconstruction committee meeting. Unexpectedly, but not surprisingly, Crowe was there as well, walking a little behind the Oracle. By the time you noticed her presence, the sun had risen completely above the Cathedral, shunning the shadows away from the square.

They stopped to stand on the raised platform before you, and the noise in the crowd gradually died down. As the silence settled, Noctis took a step forward and bowed respectfully, with one hand over his heart. You and the rest of the royal retinue copied him, and it didn't take long for the other party to return the gesture.

Claustra took one step forward and spread her gaze to the crowd. "We have gathered here today to send our heroes off," she started. "To thank them for what they have done for our city and wish them luck and safety in their upcoming journey."

Behind your back, the crowd applauded. In the meantime, it was Luna's turn to step forward. Her ocean-blue eyes were focused on Noctis, just as his own gaze was fixated on her.

"May the gods guide your way to Light," she announced. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she resumed with, "My King."

"Luna…"

Luna stretched her hand out and Noctis readily took it. He then brought the back of her hand up for what seemed to be a formal, platonic kiss, their eyes never leaving each other's.

Then, a blink of an eye later, Noctis leaned in to kiss Luna full on her lips.

You barely had the time to express your own surprise because, in an instance, the cameras and reporters went frantic. Some of them even started to shout for Noctis and Luna to look in their direction. Next to you, Gladio cursed and began to move.

"Brace yourselves," he warned. "It's gonna turn into a stampede real soon."

"Oh, boy..." Prompto's voice wavered slightly. "I think I much prefer facing a horde of MTs than _that_."

"Then we need to move swiftly," added Ignis, his tone sounding much calmer than the other two. "Gladio, Leonis, try to open a way through the crowd. Prompto, you and I are to take Noct and walk him back to the gondola."

"Copy that."

You moved after Gladio, slicing a path through the crowd in the direction of the canal and holding it open with your body until Noctis passed by. It was a simple and straightforward order to follow, which helped distract you from the rumbling in your chest that had begun the moment you witnessed the kiss.

But perhaps you should have better ignored it, because once you reached the pier, you couldn't help but turn around. From beyond the crowd, you searched for Luna's eyes and found them immediately - the pools of ocean blue and the calm, ethereal smile that accompanied them were as beautiful as you had always remembered.

You placed your hand over your heart and offered a salute, and you thought you may have glimpsed a glimmer in her ocean-blue eyes before she answered you with a bow.

By the time you straightened up again to catch up with Noctis and the others, it was with both duty and love weighing heavy in your heart.

* * *

For a big part of the gondola trip, you could feel Gladio's lingering gaze. Did he notice the gesture that you shared between Luna shortly before departing the Cathedral square? Part of you wanted to ask the question, but a bigger part of you feared what would happen if you did ask. In the end, you tried to ignore Gladio's inquisitive glances as best as you could by asking Prompto for selfies, or listening in to Ignis scolding Noctis about the proper public etiquette.

Eventually, the five of you made it to the royal vessel. Many Altissians crowded the port as the ship began to depart, throwing confetti and waving you off. Noctis stood on the edge of the deck to wave back, and the crowd erupted into a cheer.

You approached him and watched the festivities extend from the port as few small boats followed the royal vessel to see it off the grandiose water gates of Altissia.

"From this angle, it looks like they think of you as their actual king," you remarked.

"You really think so?" Noctis grimaced. "Even after hearing all of Iggy's scolding?"

You gave him a small smile and a shrug. "I'm pretty sure kissing your beautiful fiancee right before invading the enemy's capital is one of the most important kingly duties."

Noctis chuckled and turned to you, and all the tense formalities that he exuded until seconds ago melted away. With relaxed shoulders and shy, sheepish smile, he was back to becoming the Noctis that you knew: a king, but also a friend.

"Thanks, Leonis. And I know that this might be late, but...," his gaze trailed down as he spoke. "I just want to let you know that… I'm quite ready now to hold onto the Ring of Lucii."

You subconsciously held a breath in. "Noct, are you really sure?"

Noctis sighed. "I mean, I guess at this point I will be royally screwed if I'm not ready." He paused to chuckle. "So… yeah. You don't have to bear the responsibility for me anymore. It's my fate, and I will see it through to the end."

Something in your chest stung as Noctis talked out loud about his fate. _It is ordained that Noctis will die to bring Light back to Eos_. You could hear Luna's voice all over again in your head and felt your heart sink a little. But then, Noctis stretched his hand out, palm up, and you tried to shake the thoughts away before lifting the golden chain that hung around your neck. You placed the Ring of Lucii on Noctis' open palm and he immediately closed his fingers around it.

"Thank you," he said. His midnight-blue eyes stared down pensively at his enclosed fist.

You opened your mouth to say something, but you were immediately interrupted when Prompto shouted, "Ah, Noct! Stay right there, don't move!!"

"What…?" You managed to blink.

"It's a photo op, I think," explained Noctis. "Hey, Prompto, don't forget to get the skyline of Altissia in the background!"

"You don't need to tell me twice!"

You opened your mouth to ask a question, but found yourself at loss of words when a familiar hand tapped on your shoulder. Then Gladio passed by, guiding Ignis along.

"Hey, Lioness," he called - and your heart inevitably jumped. "Stop standing around and join us."

"Yeah! Go to the right of Noct," offered Prompto helpfully. "That'll make the composition more even."

"Um... okay."

You did as Prompto said and stood between Gladio and Noctis. Ignis stood next to Gladio at first, but then moved a little bit away. "And is this position good, Prompto?" he asked.

"Aw, man… you look even cooler now with your scar, Iggy." Prompto remarked after having snapped a couple of pictures of test pictures after mounting his camera on the tripod. "How is that fair?"

"Well, I sure hope my sight was actually worth something," Ignis deadpanned.

"Eh, wow. That… turned _way_ darker than I expected."

Noctis sighed. "Now you're just fueling him even more..."

"Hey. Play nice," warned Gladio.

A smile broke on your expression. You would be lying to say that you could immediately stop being conscious of the latter's warm hand on the small of your back. But with Noctis' arm on your shoulders and Prompto's cheerful exclamation of, "Now say cheese!" you found yourself quite sufficiently distracted.

Behind you, Altissia drifted further away. However, in the picture that Prompto's camera had taken, that exact moment you shared with the royal retinue would be recorded forever.

* * *

Hennef was quite small compared to other port cities in Niflheim, and for years, the Kingsglaives had used it as an entry point into the Empire. Its trade route with Accordo was busy enough, but not so important that it required a lot of coast guards, so it was a perfect place to slip in undetected. It also had a direct train connection to Gralea, which was just perfect for what you and the rest of the royal retainers were trying to accomplish.

The only problem was that you never had to enter Hennef in a freaking royal vessel.

Unlike in Altissia, it wouldn't be very wise to dock such an identifiable ship in open daylight at the port. So one alternative was to slip into the town after sunset to take an evening train, and send Gladio and Prompto - the two least conspicuous people in the group, or so Ignis had decreed - to buy train tickets for everyone. The two of them ended up being away for almost an hour, which was long enough for you to be alarmed. Neither Ignis and Noctis seemed to share your worry, however.

"I have been in this port for missions so many times, Ignis," you fumed. "I don't understand why I couldn't go with them."

"It is true that you have more knowledge of the terrain, Leonis." Ignis nodded in agreement. "But unfortunately, you are not an unknown face anymore. Not after that video of yours went viral."

You let out a frustrated sigh. All the while, Ignis calmly began to hand you the vegetables that he was going to use in preparation of a late lunch. You took them with a disgruntled huff and began cutting them with a knife and cutting board. The activity was just distracting enough for you to set aside your worry for a moment - although you would never admit it.

"Do not fret," added Ignis. "Prompto looks the most like an Imperial citizen among all of us, and Gladio is a big man. Even if they attract attention, in the end, they are more than capable of fending for themselves."

You narrowed your eyes. Hearing Ignis telling off your worries was rather annoying, but you supposed it was still less upsetting than watching Noctis play video games in his father's luxurious private cabin.

And besides, there was something more important that you wanted to discuss with the king's advisor.

"... So, Noctis has asked me to give the Ring of Lucii," you muttered.

Ignis paused for a fraction of a second before handing you a Lucian tomato. "Yes, I am aware of the fact."

"What's your take on that?"

"I suppose with the Ring, Noctis will be able to access the powers of the Crystal much like his father did. Perhaps it will make our mission easier. We might make it back to Insomnia again in no time - just as Noctis wishes."

You stared at the tomato first, then at Ignis. "Do you know why King Regis created the Kingsglaive, Ignis? It's because the Ring and the Crystal sucked away at his life the more he was using it to power up the Wall. So he had to delegate some of that burden to us, to help him protect Lucis."

Ignis said nothing, and you continued on chopping the tomato together with the other vegetables. The sounds of the knife hitting against the wooden board repeatedly filled the kitchen space.

"I don't think we should let the Crystal crown Noctis as king," you resumed. "It might just be the one thing that will kill him."

You were done chopping the vegetables at this point, and silence fell as the weight of what you just said slowly settled in. It lasted for several moments, until at one point, you let out a dry chuckle. "Wow. Sorry… I can't believe I really just said that out loud."

Ignis hummed. "That's alright. I can understand."

You sighed yet again. "I just… I don't want anyone else to die, Ignis. Not when I can do anything about it."

"I know."

Ignis searched around with his hand in your direction. Instinctively, you offered your hand, and he took it with a gentle squeeze.

"It can be useful to know what might happen in the future. However, we should not forget that the future happens only because of what happens in the present," he said.

You didn't reply to Ignis' words immediately. Memories of your encounter with Leviathan flitted by in your mind, and you subconsciously squeezed Ignis' hand tighter.

"Do you really think the future can be changed, Ignis?" you eventually asked. "Even when the Astrals had prophesied it?"

"Yes, I do," answered Ignis firmly, and you almost thought his unseeing eye was shining with motivation. "I have to, because Noct's life depends on it."

The pensive silence that you shared right after was suddenly broken by sounds of approaching steps, followed by a big yawn that was so characteristically Noctis'. "What part of me is depending on what?" he asked.

Both you and Ignis exclaimed quickly and all at once, "Nothing!"

* * *

Both Prompto and Gladio arrived not long after you and Ignis finished cooking. Apparently, they had not only gone to get train tickets, but also searched around for a way to sneak the Regalia into the baggage car. A mad, dangerous plan - and one that you hadn't thought was possible until they laid it all out for you, Ignis, and Noctis.

"But you gotta admit that it was a good idea," said Gladio with that low, husky tone of his that immediately sent tingles up your spine.

Thankfully, the tasks of moving the Regalia soon proved to be demanding enough to distract you. Although you still prayed, in the back of your mind, that your feelings for the Shield could cool down a bit faster. Perhaps sometime before you reached Gralea.

When the Regalia was perfectly settled in the baggage car and the train was beginning to move, you couldn't help but brush one hand along the side of its body. It was the first time you actually could get so close to the royal car, and you would be lying to say that you weren't impressed.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Noctis remarked. "The old girl's been so good to us in all those weeks we were on the road."

"I can imagine." You turned to give Noctis a sheepish smile. "Your own car also helped us a lot, too, back on the day Insomnia was invaded."

"Ah, you got to drive her?" Noctis' cheerful expression dropped for a second before he smiled again, and you couldn't help but wonder if you shouldn't have mentioned it. "Well, good to know that she was used for a good purpose, in the end."

"Yeah…," you replied. "Did you get to drive the car at all before you left?"

Noctis shrugged. "Yeah, on my 21st birthday when I got it as a present. But Ignis got traumatized so much he told me not to do it again."

"That is not what I said," Ignis remarked. "I merely suggested that you start driving the Star of Lucis on an enclosed track, until you're more comfortable with the controls."

"Yeah, whatever. Same difference." Noctis rolled his eyes, seemingly ready to end the topic. "Well, we're done here, right? Anyone up for a round of King's Knight?"

You were about to answer but Gladio beat you to it with "Yeah, count me in."

"Eh, I'll… stay here for a bit, to cover up the car with… this tarp. Extra protection, you see," you fumbled through your reply, all the while trying your best not to look straight into the Shield's amber gaze. "You guys go ahead and play without me."

Noctis shrugged. "Your loss, Leonis. Prompto, you coming?"

"Huh? Yeah… in a bit."

You averted your attention back to the car with a small smile. It still felt rather unbelievable that you had really become part of the royal retinue, despite everything that had happened.

Of course, there was still the pesky problem of your lingering feelings for Gladio. Astrals knew when the feelings would wear off, but you knew from experience that it would happen in time. You just had to push through with it.

As you were about to lift the tarp that was supposed to hide the Regalia, you heard Prompto calling out, "Hey, Leonis. Is… everything okay?"

"Oh… yeah. Just want to finish things up here, so we don't worry about it later," you replied.

"Yeah, I know. But I mean, you also look kinda… um, pale."

"Ah, really? Well, it's probably from the sea trip." At least you didn't have to lie completely. You had been feeling a bit bloated ever since transferring from the ship to the train, but your hyperfocus on anything that Gladio was doing kind of sidetracked you away from it.

Prompto smiled sympathetically. "Well, Noct made some new batches of potion bottles just now, so just grab one from the Armiger if you need to, alright?"

"Alright. Thanks, Prompto," you replied, returning his smile.

"Welcome!"

Silence fell for a moment, and then, "... Are you sure you're really okay, though?"

You couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah. I'm really fine. Promise."

"Alright… if you say so." Prompto's voice sounded resigned, but perked up slightly when he resumed, "If you need to talk to anyone about… anything, just let me know, okay?"

You gave Prompto an assuring smile before he went off. His gentle attention touched you, and as you continued on working, you made a mental note to actually take his offer and talk to him later, once the others were going to sleep.

Before long, you finished wrapping up the Regalia and decided it was a good time to follow after the others. However, just as soon as you opened the connecting door between the luggage and passenger cars, rounds of guns started being shot through the windows, some of them hitting the train passengers.

You cursed under your breath and dropped to the floor. Amid showers of bullets, other passengers began to panic, screaming and making their run in your direction.

In your attempt to escape the stampede, you summoned Nyx's kukri from the Armiger and tossed it towards the middle of the car. A fraction of a second later, your senses blurred into a warp before you materialized again midair, hand gripping the handle of the dagger before throwing it further. You landed soon on the other side of the train car, crouched on one knee.

You stood up, turned around and immediately saw a glimpse of Noctis running away in the next car.

"Noct!!"

You slid open the door separating the two train cars, wanting to warn him of potential dangers. However, the moment you took the first step past the door, the entire left side of the car suddenly exploded, throwing you off your feet and sending you into an adjacent wall.


	15. Penumbra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having caught up with Noctis, you found yourself forced to make a difficult choice.
> 
> Thankfully, you received an unexpected help in the most unexpected place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took only 15 chapters but finally I'm writing something that actually intersects with scenes in the game lol...
> 
> That said, get ready for a lot of handwaving with Niflheim's history of military industry ahead.

The ringing inside your head remained even after you dissolved the magical wall that you had cast in the last fractions of a second before the explosion went off. It was painful and disorienting enough that you almost stumbled on your own feet when you tried to stand up. Regardless, you were determined to push yourself onto your two feet. You had to find Noctis - and fast.

The cold winds blew in, bringing small flakes of snow. Niflheim's climate had always been much colder than Lucis, and the fact hit you hard as you stood there in an empty, destroyed passenger's car facing the tundra-like landscape.

… Wait a minute.

Why was the passenger's car empty?

You searched around and gradually realized that there was no one in the car. No dead bodies, and not even a wounded passenger. The knowledge sent a chill up your spine that had nothing to do with the winds.

Where did everybody go?

Was this all a setup? A magic trick of some sort?

You felt chill creeping up before you broke into a run.

"Noct!! Gladio!" you called out as loud as you could the moment you slid open the next passenger's car. And then the next one. And the next. Every single one of them was empty and devoid of life. "Where are you?!"

You were about to reach yet another door when you heard a clattering noise somewhere behind you. You turned around and caught a glimpse of a figure clad in back running towards an exit door.

"Noctis?!"

You chased after the figure, making a sharp turn at the exit. You were more than ready to jump out of the open door up until you saw the ground moving. Wide-eyed, you took a step back and fell on your behind. The train had started moving again, but where did Noctis go?

You stood up and looked out the door, then noticed a ladder nearby that led up to the train's roof. Carefully, you reached out to it and then began climbing. By the time you reached the roof, the train was gradually picking up its pace.

"Noct?!" You called out again after getting onto your feet. The wind was growing stronger and fiercer as the train sped up, tossing your hair around and making it difficult to completely open your eyes. You turned around, partly wanting to protect yourself from the wind - and what you witnessed then made your heart sink in your chest.

Noctis was half-running, half-grappling at the curved roof of the train, desperately trying to get to the other end of the car as fast as he could. At the end of his trajectory, two figures who appeared to be Prompto and Ardyn were standing on either side of the train's roof. Once Noctis got closer, you saw him summon one of his swords and use it not to attack Ardyn, but Prompto - even as far as pushing the blond gunman off the train.

"Prompto! No!!"

You warped several times to catch up to them, but it was too late. By the time you reached Noctis' side, Ardyn was nowhere to be found.

A string of colorful insults escaped your lips before you turned around. "Noct! The hell were you doing?!"

The moment you saw Noctis' expression, you immediately regretted yelling. The young king looked down at his open palms, and you could see that they were trembling. "I… I don't know…"

You bit at your lower lip before glancing back. The train had picked up its normal speed now, and the longer you waited, the further Prompto would be left behind.

What should you do?

The question rang inside your head almost as loud as in the aftermath of the explosion. 

Should you really leave Prompto behind? Prompto, who had asked you to accompany him taking pictures of various ruins in Altissia so he would feel less alone, the only one who had shown up in front of Weskham's door to deliver you a cake and a letter, and the one person that assured you that you always had someone to talk to… 

But what about Noctis?

You shook your head. No, Noctis was not going to be alone, you told yourself. Ignis and Gladio would be there with him. On the other hand, Prompto would be out there in the vast and harsh wilderness of Niflheim, surrounded by Imperial forces.

With a renewed determination, you tapped at Noctis shoulder and helped him up. "Noct, look at me," you demanded. When he finally heeded you, you resumed, "I'm going after Prompto. We'll catch up with you and the others in Gralea, okay?"

"What? But-"

"Don't worry about us." One of your hands patted at his front pocket, where you knew he had kept the Ring of Lucii. "You have the ring now, Noct. Make sure to put it to a good use, yeah?"

Before Noctis could do anything to stop you, you already made a turn around and warped off the train.

* * *

The wind and snow blew against your face and, well… just about everywhere on your body. It was freezing cold, even with a proper set of winter gears that Gladio had procured from Hennef. Nevertheless, you braced yourself and walked on, your teeth clattering and your muscles numb from a combination of the cold and stasis. You lost count of just how many times you had warped since getting off the train, yet you still couldn't find any signs of Prompto.

Did he get captured?

You tried not to think too much on answering the question. Once your stasis wore off, you could use magic again and the search would be much easier. You just needed to hang on for a bit more…

Suddenly, you saw a silhouette amid the snow, and you summoned your kukri, just in case. When you approached closer, however, the silhouette aimed a bright source of light at you before you could hear its motor growling as it drove closer.

You realized that it was a snowmobile, and cursed under your breath. There was nothing but open, snowy fields all around you, so fleeing wasn't exactly the wisest option. You could only hope that whoever was approaching you was a civilian - or better yet, Prompto himself.

"Huh. Didn't think I would see you here." A familiar voice stated. The snowmobile's driver took off their helmet, revealing shoulder-length silvery hair and brilliant green eyes. You held your breath.

"Commodore Highwind," you greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking you, Glaive," she paused to look you up and down. "Well, what are you waiting for? Hop on."

You blinked. "What?"

"Please tell me you haven't turned deaf." Aranea rolled her eyes.

"No… I heard you properly. But why are you helping me?"

"I'll tell you more once we get you to a warmer place. Unless you prefer to be left here to die, in which case, be my guest."

It was your turn to roll your eyes before you quietly, hesitantly hopped onto the back of the snowmobile.

"Good girl," the mercenary smirked before putting the helmet back on and kicking the gas pedal, driving both of you through the snowy landscape faster than you could ever do on foot.

* * *

Aranea drove you through the snowstorm to a small wooden cabin, which seemed abandoned. It was dark and there were dusts everywhere when you entered, in the air and on the windowsill. You cast a small fire on your hand and searched around, eventually finding a scrap newspaper on a table. The publication dated back to M.E. 723.

"Huh. That's a neat trick," commented Aranea approvingly. You almost jolted, having forgotten for a moment that the mercenary was also there.

"Thanks," you muttered before picking up the newspaper. The bold headline was announcing a new government program that was supposed to help in an upcoming offensive against Lucis. Something somewhere inside your stomach churned upon reading it.

"What is this place?" you asked Aranea. "What happened here?"

"There is a research facility nearby that used to be very important. Most scientists that worked there were housed nearby, like in this cabin, for example." Aranea paused to gesture around her general surroundings. "But soon the prototypes had to be escalated to production, and those scientists either got fired or relocated to the factory. Sucked for them, but good for us."

You hummed, placing the newspaper back on the table. "So… what's an Imperial mercenary doing out here all alone?"

" _Former_ mercenary," corrected Aranea. When you turned her way you saw that she was kneeling by a furnace with a flashlight, seemingly trying to get it working. "Honestly speaking, I'm trying to find a way to get the hell out of this hellhole continent with as many people as I could manage to drag along."

Your eyebrows furrowed. "Why would you do that?"

Aranea raised a silver eyebrow. "You don't know? What stone have you been hiding under?"

When you didn't answer, she let out a sigh. "Oh well, can't really say that I know exactly what happened. But apparently a lot of people in Gralea became sick, all at the same time. Then everyone just… vanished. And the daemons started pouring in. The Empire is crumbling right before our eyes, so to speak."

You bit at your lower lip. Suddenly, letting Noctis and the others head into Gralea didn't seem like a good idea anymore. What should you do? Should you push on to find Prompto or head to Gralea?

As you mulled over your options, she finally managed to get the furnace working. Gradually, warmth and light were beginning to spread all over the cabin.

Aranea pulled a chair close to where you stood and sat down. Her elbow was on the table supporting her torso as she directed her gaze in your direction. "So, what made _you_ come around this part? I thought you were still back in Altissia, guarding the Oracle."

You stared back at her as you tried to determine what to answer. She may have told you that she had resigned from being a mercenary, but how much of it was the truth? In the end, you were the one to first break eye contact - mainly to put away the fire that was burning on your palm.

"I'm looking for a friend," you said carefully. "He was last seen around the area where you found me."

As you spoke, and even for a moment afterwards, Aranea's green eyes were focused on you. Judging, assessing. In the end, she replied with a disinterested huff, "Hmm, I guess there's no reason to not believe you… weirder things have happened before around this part."

Aranea then pulled out a map of Niflheim that she partly opened and laid on the table in front of you. "Anyway, if you're looking for anyone, might as well try the research compound. It's only thirty minutes away to the south from here on a snowmobile," she resumed, dragging a straight line with her finger on the map towards a mountain range. "It's mostly empty now, so parts of it were repurposed into a temporary detention center."

It was your turn now to stare at Aranea. The attention didn't go unnoticed, though. She let out a sigh before continuing, "Listen. I don't ask you to trust me. But Verrum told me that you were going to need all the help when you arrive here, and I just so happen to be indebted enough to her that I feel obliged to give it to you."

Your blinked. "You met Verrum?"

"Yeah. I gotta warn you, though, I don't have much hope that she and her commander boyfriend are still alive."

As your brain was busy processing everything that you just heard, you subconsciously set yourself down on a chair. At the same time, you saw Aranea getting onto her feet and heading towards the door. "Hey, where're you going?"

"Out," she replied curtly. "I have to find my squad, too, you know?"

"What? But-"

"Don't worry about me." She waved her hand nonchalantly. "Also feel free to use the snowmobile. I have another one parked nearby."

"Uh… thank you," you told her. After everything that had been said and done, you felt bad for not having been kinder to the former mercenary.

Before you could even wish her good luck, Aranea had already opened the cabin's door and shut it close behind her, leaving behind a gust of melting snow in her wake.

* * *

After Aranea left, it occurred to you that you hadn't checked on Noctis and the others ever since departing the train. So you reached for your phone, and the first thing that you noticed was your battery, which was on low percentage at that point. Another thing that you noticed was that there were missed calls - all 57 of them were coming from Gladio's number.

You held your breath in and called back. There was barely a ringing tone before you heard Gladio muttering a low, careful, "... Lioness? Is that you?"

"Yeah," you replied, feeling some of your tension coming out with your breath. "How are you? Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, we're getting close to Tenebrae now," he replied, sounding almost in a hurry. "Where the hell are you?"

"Somewhere in Puscielle region, near the mountain range," you replied, having glanced briefly at the map that Aranea had provided to check. "I think I have a lead to where Prompto is. It shouldn't be long before we-"

The sentence that you were about to say was cut abruptly with a buzz as your phone was switching off. Its battery was completely empty at that point. You sighed loudly, then let yourself sink in the chair that you were sitting in.

As you watched the ceiling of the cabin, you couldn't help but imagine Gladio's disapproving face, holding the phone against his ear. However, it didn't take long until that image got merged into the sight of him standing forlorn under the Altissian stars. And then you could almost hear him mutter, in the dim lighting of the Leville, how you deserved _everything_ that this world had to offer.

You let out another loud, quivering sigh. It crossed your mind before that perhaps you should rest, to conserve your energy and prevent another long stasis. But you had a feeling sleep would not come easy for you that night.

So instead, you pocketed your phone and gathered the map, eventually heading out of the cabin's door after turning off the heating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how it is with other phones, but mine always buzzes before it turns off. Kinda like a cry of help before death.


	16. The Dark Side of the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the research compound, you learned a lot about Prompto's past - no thanks to the help of a certain Chancellor...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look. An Ardyn chapter.
> 
> Pretty sure that's enough warning.

The research compound was easy enough to reach on the snowmobile. Getting in wasn't so easy, however, as it was full with MTs patrolling the premise. After scouting around for a couple of hours, you managed to find a garage door that was guarded only by one MT.

Should be simple enough to take down, you thought, provided that you could distract it from calling its friends.

So you summoned your kukri and waited patiently in the shadows. At one point, the MT turned, and you wasted no time warping and striking it directly across its throat. The MT was felled just as soon as you reappeared - and to your surprise, an Imperial Infantry soldier was standing nearby and looking in your direction.

"What in the actual-"

You muttered a curse - and then a spell - under your breath before releasing a bolt of electricity from your open palm. The lightning bolt hit the soldier square in the chest just as he was about to raise his gun, immediately sending the soldier down to his knees. You didn't wait around to strike him the same way as you did the MT.

For a moment afterwards, you could only stay kneeling in silence. Part of it was to calm down your aggressively beating heart, and another part was listening if anyone else was coming. In the end, you heard nothing but radio static coming from somewhere on the unconscious soldier. So you rose to your feet and searched him, eventually coming across a handheld intercom on his belt that must have been jammed from the fall.

You picked up the device and managed to adjust it to the right channel after a couple of tries.

"A compromised MT unit is on the loose. I repeat, a compromised MT unit is on the loose. Prepare for a retrieval process."

A compromised MT? That's the first time you ever heard about it. Nevertheless, if the soldiers inside the compound had started to move, then you probably should too. After pocketing the radio in your jacket, you proceeded to sneak further into the garage, eventually ending up at a long, empty corridor flanked with doors.

You tried to enter one of them, hoping to run into some kind of office where you could look up a registry of all the incoming prisoners. It took you exactly three minutes of searching around before you suddenly heard someone make a tutting sound behind your back.

"Have we seriously been reduced to petty spying now, Ring Bearer?"

You froze all movement. There were sounds of boots against the floor, and you could already see the black coat and hat of the Chancellor of Niflheim before his figure appeared in your sight, wide grin and all. You subconsciously gulped as Ardyn slowly but surely stepped closer.

"You know, if there is something that you want to know… you can always ask," Ardyn drawled, all the while picking a stack of papers that you were holding. "Ah, this one is actually quite interesting. It is a paper published by a then-PhD candidate from Gralea University, which shows that the _plasmodium_ unearthed in Ulwaat Region was…"

"Well, then cut the crap and tell me where Prompto is," you hissed.

For a split second, you saw Ardyn's smile drop into a frown. Then the next thing you knew, he had slapped you - hard. Enough to make your sight spin and send you on your knees and elbows.

Before you could fully recover, however, you could hear a familiar hum of a weapon being summoned from the Armiger. Gasping, you spun around as fast as you could and raised your kukri. Ardyn had swung a sword down on you, and you were lucky enough to block it in time.

"Did you know how difficult it is to get Mr. Argentum to learn about his heritage with you being able to see past my illusions?" he asked. "Good thing that a little explosion seemed to mitigate some of that problem."

You grunted and kicked at the Chancellor's shin, then rolled back to gain some distance away from him. When you raised up to your knees, it was with two daggers crossed in front of you in a defensive stance. You were _not_ going to put your guard down again in front of this man.

"What did you do to Prompto?!"

Ardyn simply looked at you for a moment. His smarmy smile had returned, and for a split second you were reminded of the time he infected you with the Scourge. You subconsciously gulped. "You didn't… infect him, did you?"

His chuckle was both intimidating and sickly amused. "And why would I ever do that?"

At this point, you were done playing his game. It was clear that Ardyn wasn't going to help you, and whatever he was doing only served to stall you. Something was being done to Prompto, and if you let yourself be distracted like this for a longer time, it would soon be too late to help him.

So you tossed one dagger towards Ardyn and reappeared in a warp strike. It sent him skidding back a couple of steps as he tried to block your attack. What you didn't see, unfortunately, was a sidekick that he was sending to your right, which completely threw you off balance. From there, he summoned a heavy shield and rammed it against you, once again sending you groaning with your back hitting the ground.

"Your determination to die continues to fascinate me," you heard him remark. You cracked open one eye and saw that Ardyn was moving to kneel before you.

"But as disappointing as this may sound, you are much more worthy alive than dead, my dear Lioness." His hand shot forward to grab at a handful of your hair, forcing you to look at him. "So don't you dare run to your death when you're not on my watch. Is that clear?"

You didn't answer him. Ardyn let out a bemused chuckle before striking you once more, and suddenly all that you saw was black.

* * *

You woke up to the sound of hurried footsteps in the hallway. You stirred for a bit, struggling to wake up completely as a headache was pounding from inside your skull. Eventually, the intercom began to buzz with a call for everyone in the compound,

"Soldier down in the back garage, possibly by the compromised unit. Backup needed urgently. I repeat…"

You groaned and turned off the device before it could alert a soldier nearby of your position. Slowly, but surely, you tiptoed towards the hallway, stopping to hide behind a wall when a group of soldiers rushed by. When they were far away enough, you took the chance to take off in the direction where they came from.

Eventually, you ended up in some sort of laboratory. The equipment looked like they were still in use, which somewhat puzzled you. Did Aranea lie when she told you the research compound was mostly empty?

You reached for the nearest stack of papers, trying to understand what was being investigated there. Ultimately, though, your attention was piqued by the sight of a glowing glass tank in the adjacent room. You approached it, and gasped - there was actually a human being in the tank, submerged in liquid and connected to various pipes and cables on each naked limb.

"... Prompto? Is that you?" you whispered, horrified.

You stepped closer until the tank was within your arm's reach, and you noticed that despite the similar appearance, the person inside the tank was definitely younger than Prompto. It brought you some relief, though the sight still disturbed you nonetheless.

Standing closer like this, you noticed there was actually another tank behind the one that you first saw. And then several others. On closer inspection, they all contained a person who looked exactly the same.

You had to take a step back, as thousands of thoughts passed by in your head with overwhelming speed. Was Niflheim trying to clone humans? For what purpose? How did this never show up in the Kingsglaive mission details before? Then you remembered that Drautos had been a double agent, possibly for his entire career in Kingsglaive. It would have been so easy for him to cover up such a finding.

Your train of thoughts was broken when you suddenly heard a scream, then a gunshot.

"Prompto?!"

That was definitely his voice. You were sure of it - or at least you thought so as you raced towards the source of the noise.

In the end, you found yourself in an empty, sterile room that could have been yet another lab. There were several tanks with clones circling the mechanical structure in the middle of the room, which was rapidly spinning by the time you arrived and was even generating a lot of smoke. And just next to it, Prompto was kneeling next to a patch of roiling miasma.

"Prompto!!" you called out before making big strides towards where he was kneeling.

"Leonis?" Prompto looked up to you, seemingly distracted. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting you the hell out of here," you sniped, just in time before the alarm started blaring. "Come on. Noctis and the others are waiting."

You offered your hand, but Prompto didn't take it. Instead, he looked at your palm with a quivering lip and shaking knuckles.

"I-I don't know if I should…," he whispered.

You would have listened more patiently if you didn't hear sounds of feet marching coming in from the hallway. Cursing, you grabbed at Prompto's limp wrist and pulled him up. "Save the talk for later, okay. Gotta run first!"

* * *

By the time you made it out of the compound - and safely out of reach of any MT or soldier - the night was almost over. Or so you had expected after having spent hours driving the snowmobile, but the sky itself was still pitch dark. The sight made you grimace. There was no daemon yet that you had encountered so far on the way, but that could change any time. And not to mention you might run out of fuel soon.

"We should find somewhere to rest," you announced among the roar of the snowmobile's engine.

From behind you, you could feel Prompto nod against your shoulder. "Yeah… alright."

You frowned at his reaction. You had expected Prompto to talk more after the situation calmed down, but that wasn't the case. In fact, it felt like he was withdrawing even more into himself. It was unsettling to see Prompto like this.

Even more so when the two of you quite incidentally ran into an empty haven at the foot of a snowy hill, and Prompto regarded the fact with a lukewarm reaction. It was at this point that you realized you needed to perform an intervention.

"Hey, Prompto." You plopped down next to him by the fire, trying your best to curve a non-threatening smile. "Is… everything okay?"

When Prompto didn't answer, you continued on, "I know we didn't get to talk back there, and maybe you don't actually want to talk right now. But I can't help wondering why you were hesitating to leave."

Prompto's hand on his upper arm tightened. Pity surged from deep inside your chest and you ended up hugging him across his shoulders with one arm. "Sorry… if you don't want to talk about it, that's also okay."

Prompto shook his head. "No… I think if anyone deserves to know, it's you, Leonis."

His voice quivered as he pulled up the right sleeve of his jacket, revealing a tattoo of barcode just above his wrist. You looked at it unfazed, up until Prompo asked, "Do you… know what this is? Did you see what they make inside that research facility?"

At first, you had no idea what the connection was between the two sentences that Prompto had said out loud. But then you were reminded of the tanks that you had seen in the compound, along with the clones that they housed, and your stomach churned.

"... What do they actually make inside that research facility, Prompto?" You thought that you might be able to guess the answer, but you still wanted to hear it directly from him.

Prompto took a long breath in, and then out. "They're... the facility... is one of the first ones... to produce Magitek Troopers," he started in a low voice. "I've read the journals... of the Niffs head scientist... he cloned himself, Leonis, and out of those clones... he turned them into..."

Prompto's words faltered, but his story and your still-fresh memory of the clones in the research facility was enough for you to connect the dots. Prompto was born - created, even - to be an MT. The realization dawned on you as you sat there on the snow with your mouth agape. There was disbelief, at first, but it soon got replaced by pity.

"That's why… I think it's better if... I don't go with you," he eventually concluded. "What will Noctis and the others think about me when they know…"

"... Hey." You reached out and covered the barcode with your own palm. Your eyes were searching Prompto's. But when those lost blue eyes stared back at you, you felt your mouth become dry.

"Noctis needs you," you told him eventually. "You know what will happen to him, right?"

"... Yeah, but…"

"He had come all this way. Right now, he needs our help more than ever," you continued. "Are you really sure you want to stay here instead of helping him?"

His eyes trailed down. "No… I want to help. I really do. But what if they don't want _my_ help?"

Your expression softened. "Well, I can't say for the others, but I sure wouldn't be able to survive back there without you, so…"

You let go of Prompto's hand, making sure to caress his barcode with your thumb before your skins no longer touched. Prompto chuckled dryly. 

"I guess without this barcode, we would still be trapped in that garage, huh?" he started. "I gotta admit, it feels good to be the hero of the day every once in a while. Now I know how you felt when that video of yours went viral."

It was your turn to chuckle. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

Prompto returned your smile. It wasn't as bright as it was back in Altissia, but after his continued silence earlier, you couldn't be happier to see it. Then, slowly, silence fell between you two, and you found your gaze trailing towards the fire.

"Hey, Leonis?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for coming after me... and also listening to me."

You smiled, remembering the time when your positions were reversed. "You're very welcome, Prompto."


	17. Sacrifices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So rise to your fate, my Glaive,
> 
> And free us from this eternal torture."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side quests are officially over now.

You opened your eyes and found yourself standing on a wide field. All around you, the golden grass stretched on as far as your eyes could see. It was a rather familiar scene if not for a humanoid-looking mass of metal that was standing some distance away, facing you. You thought that it may have been Glauca, until you realized that this armor was shaped a lot like the Kingsglaive insignia.

You thought of calling out, perhaps even asking who was behind the armor. But the armored man suddenly took a fighting stance, and it occurred to you that he may not be up for talking. So you summoned your daggers, and waited.

The wind blew by and rustled the tips of the golden grass. Then, the armored man moved, just as fast as the breeze. You tossed your dagger and met him halfway in a warp strike, blade clashing against blade. All around you, fragments of blue-white light scattered and floated in the air.

You managed to exchange several more blows before finally ending up in a lock: two of your daggers crossed against his sword. You gritted your teeth. The man was strong, as evidenced by how much force he managed to apply with each of his attacks, but he was also fast.

"Who are you?" you shouted. "And why are you attacking me?"

Instead of answering, the armored man pressed in further before slashing his blade across at you. You managed to dodge just barely. At the same time, your opponent took the chance to spring back a safe distance away. He then pointed the blade of his sword in your direction.

"I am here to grant you wisdom, Glaive," he began, his voice echoing inside his steel armor. "Do not tamper with fate. When you do, you are gambling with the destinies of the world."

As he spoke, he began to walk closer, still wielding his sword readily. It took you a moment to finally recognize the sword that he was holding. You had seen it before, on your journey across Lucis with Luna, when you were about to face the Archaean.

"You're the Founder King, aren't you?" you called out. "Noctis is the last of your line. Please, tell me how I can save him."

You took steps forward, and the Founder Kings warped ahead to further close the distance between you. Suddenly, you found yourself lying flat on your back, surrounded by fragments of blue crystals. The area around your sternum throbbed with a dull ache, while the Founder King's sword was pointing down at the direction of your neck.

"The Chosen King has to be crowned by the Crystal and sacrifice his own life. It is the only way to save us all."

The voice was no longer distorted as the Founder King had discarded his helmet, revealing a dark blue hair that looked oddly familiar. It didn't take you long to realize that you had seen him before. He had been the nameless king that had been appearing in your dreams with Nyx and King Regis.

"Just as the prophecy says, huh?" you asked, half dazed and half recalcitrant. "And what will happen if I stop it from happening?"

The Founder King pointed his sword to the sky, and for a second you thought he was going to strike down. The hit never arrived, however. Instead, another scene played out as soon as you closed your eyes. A battlefield surrounded by fire and ash and destruction. Then, in the middle of it all, Noctis stood shirtless and armed with the Trident of the Oracle. By his feet, the figure of Luna lied hapless amid the pool of blood.

"... No!!"

You tried to reach out to them, but no matter how much you struggled, both Noctis and Luna were somewhere beyond the tip of your fingers. Yelling, you summoned both your daggers and threw them forward.

When you reappeared again, it wasn't Noctis' face that you saw, but the Founder King's, gritting his teeth in apparent effort as he tried to fend off your attack with his blade. Caught off-guard, you retreated back. At the same time, another person dashed past you and swung a blade at the Founder King, sending him toppling down on his back.

Suddenly, you no longer saw the king wearing a grand armor in the image of the Draconian. In his place, there was a teenager with unruly dark blue hair and ancient fighting robe, not much different in age than Noctis. Another man helped him up, the very person who had sent the young prince down on his behind. Only it wasn't just another man, but a prince as well. The older brother of the man that would in the future be the Founder King of Lucis, whose red hair was hardly brighter than his smile.

"Come now, Somnus. Do not fret," the redhead called. "I'm pretty sure after a few training sessions with Gilgamesh, you will be able to defeat me in a duel."

"But I don't wish to best you, Ardyn," retorted Somnus. "I just cannot fathom why you have to go. You are much more capable of defending the Citadel than I am."

Ardyn chuckled. "Ah, but that is only what you believe, is it not? I, for one, happen to believe the exact opposite."

He crouched next to Somnus, then, and ruffled at his dark blue hair fondly. "You will be a much more capable general than I ever can be, my dear brother. That is your fated place. While mine is out there, among the people, healing their sickness."

A gasp, and you were suddenly pulled back into an endless darkness. Floating and falling, all at the same time. But the absence of gravity was somehow less important compared to the new knowledge that you just learned.

"You are brothers," you muttered. "The Founder King that watches over Lucis, and the Usurper that tries to plunge it into darkness…"

"... Yes. It is both our duty and curse."

Somewhere in the darkness, you heard Somnus' answer. You closed your eyes in an attempt to make it easier to pinpoint his location - but it was to no avail.

"So rise to your fate, my Glaive,

And free us from this eternal torture."

* * *

By the time you opened your eyes again, you found yourself lying on your side against hard stone floor. There were steel plates all around you: on the walls, the ceiling, and the door. At first, you thought that you were still dreaming. However, the coldness of the floor and the numbness that creeped up from your tied-up arms gradually put you into realization that you were really awake.

A curse escaped under your breath. How did you manage to get captured by the Empire? You searched deep into your memories, eventually remembering that the snowmobile had run out of fuel somewhere close to Gralea, and you and Prompto were forced to flee a battalion of MTs on foot.

Well, looks like that escape attempt did not go over too well, you thought. Taking a breath in, and then out, you tried to center yourself and calm down any surging emotions. Then you tried to concentrate the fire spell that could burn off the ropes that bound your arms. However, no matter how long or hard you concentrated, nothing happened.

"... No way."

The realization dawned on you, then. The numbness hadn't only come from lack of blood circulation - it was also a telltale sign of stasis. A persistent one, to boot. But… something about it made no sense.

Just as you started to think, you heard a static crackle somewhere. You looked up and immediately noticed the speaker that was mounted on one of the corners of your holding cell.

"Hello? Does this thing work?" The Chancellor's voice resounded from the device next. "Ah, good to hear that you've awakened, my dear. Welcome to Gralea. I hope you had a good sleep?"

"You…" Anger bubbled inside your chest as you shot up to your feet. "The hell did you do to me, Ardyn?! Let me out of here at once!!"

"... Lioness?"

Suddenly, it was no longer Ardyn's voice that came out of the speaker. You gasped and took a step back. "Gladio??"

"Where are you now?"

"I can't really tell… there are-"

"Damn it! I lost her."

Before you could finish your sentence, you could hear Gladio slam his fist frustratingly against a surface - a table, perhaps. Something heavy sank in your stomach. "... No. Nonono. I'm right here! Gladio, please…"

"Why, good luck sending that through," Ardyn's voice returned.

"But I would like to say, from the bottom of my heart: thank you very much for that wonderful performance. Now I can sit back and watch all of your comrades run straight into my traps."

The Chancellor laughed happily, and you had never felt so much need to trash a speaker with your bare feet before in your life.

* * *

You didn't know how much time had passed since you woke up in that cell. It could have been hours or days, you couldn't tell without a window around. The only thing that changed or shifted was the shadows under the door. It occured to you then that every once in a while, the guard of your holding cell door must have been changed.

You tried to focus on those changes, memorizing the exact moment when it was supposed to happen. You didn't have any plan yet on what to do with the knowledge, but that could always come afterwards. In the worst case, it provided a distraction. A way to not think too much of what Gladio and the others were doing, if they were safe. The Chancellor would have loved to see you break from worry, and you weren't going to give him the satisfaction.

Then, at one point, you realized that something was happening. The shift didn't occur as smoothly as it usually was. In fact, you could vaguely hear a struggle. Then, after a quick moment, there was silence. You rose to your feet and waited with bated breath and eyes glued to the door, before it suddenly swung open.

"Ah, there you are!" Verrum Almecy declared the moment she saw you behind the steel door. "Took me long enough to finally find the right door."

She stepped forward and pulled out a knife which she then used to cut off the rope that bound you. You massaged your arms, welcoming the warm tingles as your blood started to flow. "Thanks… didn't expect to see you here."

Verrum snorted. "Nobody expected us. We were supposed to ambush and take over the capital, but when we arrived, there was no one - save for MTs and daemons."

Your eyes fell to the dead MT at Verrum's feet. You thought briefly of the clones that you saw back in the research facility and how each of them was related to Prompto. Before long, guilt started to creep up and you turned your attention back to the mercenary. "Do you know if Noctis and the others have arrived in Gralea? Can you help me get to them?"

"But of course. I'll do _anything_ for the ruling monarch of a country that I betrayed," she deadpanned, and then sighed. "Okay, how about this: you first help me find my stupid-dignified, revenge-obsessed boyfriend, and I will help you find your king. Is that a deal?"

You tried your best not to smile when replying, "Alright, deal."

"Good. Well, come on, then."

* * *

Both you and Verrum spent the next hour running along empty hallways and rooms that looked a lot more like office spaces than military compounds. Aside from the one MT that guarded your door, you barely ran into one. It gave you an odd chill, reminiscent of the time when you got on an empty war fleet that was bound for Insomnia - which had been nothing more than a death trap for the Kingsglaives.

You tried to brush the thought away and glanced at Verrum, who was running next to you. "So where did you say Ravus is again?"

"Last time I saw him, he mentioned going to the throne room. Something about confronting the Emperor about his birthright." Verrum paused to roll her eyes. "It should be just up ahead, but we're going to have to find a way to fly or scale the wall."

Just as Verrum stopped talking, you could hear an explosion coming from several stories up ahead. Among the debris, you could make out the shape of a person wearing a white coat about to fall head first onto the steel walkway.

"Well, looks like the work is already cut down for us," you remarked.

Verrum simply cursed. Then she picked up her pace and leaped forward, pushing Ravus in order to both break his fall and get him away from a huge chunk of concrete that was about to drop on him. You called out to them and jogged ahead, eventually finding out that both of them were safe on the walkway. Ravus looked around him with a slight disorientation before recognizing Verrum's face. Then, they both shares an embrace.

"Did you do it?" You heard Verrum ask. "Did you kill the Emperor?"

Ravus closed his eyes and shook his head. "He is as good as dead…"

"Great. Let's get the hell out of here, then."

Verrum helped Ravus up, just in time for you to hear approaching steps on the walkway. You unsheathed your dagger. Slowly, the fog from the debris cleared, and you could see a silhouette of a man wearing an all black outfit approaching. The heel of his boots clicked regularly against the steel.

"Is that… Noctis?" Ravus thought out loud.

"No," you answered firmly. "That definitely is _not_ Noctis."

You gripped tighter at your dagger's handle. Never before in your life had you desperately hoped that you could warp and deal the first strike. Eventually, Ardyn emerged from the smoke, clapping slowly and deliberately.

"Well done, all of you," he remarked. "Stellar performances of a gripping tale. It brought me to the edge of my seat. I salute you."

He paused to take his fedora off and performed a theatrical bow. "Unfortunately, as do many things in this world, everything must come to an end…"

As soon as he stood back up, two daemons floated down on either sides of Ardyn. Then, with a flick of his hands, they both made a dash towards you, Ravus, and Verrum.

You gritted your teeth and charged forward, leaping off the walkway and slashing diagonally down at one daemon. It managed to dodge your attack, but before it could recover and hit you with one of its tentacles, Verrum shot a round of bullets that pushed it back. You took the chance to dash forward at Ardyn, but the second daemon showed up out of nowhere and struck you down before you could even reach the Chancellor.

As you were recovering from the attack, you vaguely noticed Ravus jumping in and fending off the second daemon. You turned to search for Ardyn, but he was already gone. In his place, more daemons began to appear, spreading roiling black miasma around the walkway.

Verrum cursed out loud. After shoving one daemon off the walkway and shooting at three others, she gestured at you and Ravus. "Come on! This way's to the hangar!"

You kicked and slashed your way through to the mercenary, eventually reaching the end of the walkway and onto a concrete, more stable hallway. Ravus followed close behind your heel, until at one point, he stopped, and then turned around to shoot magitek-generated lightning bolts at the incoming horde.

"Ravus!!" Verrum called out and then cursed yet again under her breath. "There's no end to these daemons. We can't fight them all!"

"No, but I can at least hold them back!" Ravus shouted back. "Both of you go on ahead without me!"

"Oh, no, you don't…"

Without delay, Verrum flipped her gunblade and slashed at a touchscreen control by the entrance of the hallway. Within seconds, a steel gate appeared to close in, creating a separation from the walkway beyond. Verrum then dashed out towards Ravus, reached behind his nape, and kissed him full on his lips, effectively distracting him. Three seconds later, she shoved him through the closing steel gate.

"Verrum!! No!!"

Ravus bolted forward, but before he could reach Verrum, the steel gate closed before him with a reverberating thud.


	18. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After all the trials and tribulations, you finally managed to find your way back to the royal retinue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plenty of awkward conversations ahead. I am so sorry in advance.

It took you several moments to take in everything that just happened. If there was any noise from the walkway beyond, it was all drowned by Ravus' yells as he pounded desperately at the closed gate. But even with the power of his magitek arm, he still couldn't force the gate to budge.

Eventually, exhaustion took over the former High Commander and he gradually dropped to his knees. You could see his shoulders shake slightly, but he was not sobbing. At the very least, you couldn't hear the sound coming out of him - or any sound at all. Sympathetically, you approached him, before placing a tentative hand on his shoulder.

"We should go," you told him. "That's what she would have wanted."

You could feel him tense slightly under your touch. But eventually, Ravus stood to his feet. "Yeah… let's go," he muttered next, and turned around without looking in your direction.

For the next several minutes, you walked side by side in silence. You thought of saying something, that you could relate to what he was feeling. But when you finally mustered the courage to speak, all that you managed to say was, "I'm sorry."

After a moment of silence, Ravus let out a sigh. "She wasn't even supposed to be here. I planned to come here by myself, and…"

Ravus' voice trailed off. At first, you thought that it was because he was being overcome with emotion, but then you noticed the frozen surprise in his face. You turned to his line of sight and immediately saw what was causing his reaction.

"Pryna…?" you called out. "But how…?"

"Luna must have sent her," explained Ravus. "She did the same when we were cornered in Eusciello."

Both you and Ravus followed after Pryna. Eventually, the trail led you into a machine room of some sort. From a corner of your eyes, three shadows moved from behind rows of control boards. You pulled out your dagger just in time to block a large sword from slashing down in your direction.

"... Leonis?" Gladio gasped. At once, he pulled back his broadsword. "What the hell? How did you get here?"

You sheathed your weapon as well, all the while quietly fighting off the urge to hug the Shield right then and there. Before you could answer him, your focus was diverted by the tapping of Ignis' cane against the floor, followed by Prompto loudly calling out, "Leonis! You're alive?!"

You managed to crack a smile as the blond marksman jumped you into a hug. "Yeah… just barely."

"Well, barely alive is still better than not alive, right?"

"I guess so." You chuckled and squeezed back at the blond before pulling away with a smile. "It's so good to see you again, Prompto."

As you let go of the hug, you did feel Gladio's amber eyes linger on you. You tried not to focus too much on it and instead turned your attention on Noctis, who was approaching you from behind Prompto. He looked worn out, but somehow still managed to throw you a small smile and a wave. "Hey, Leonis. How're you holding up?"

"Noctis…"

The sight of the Ring of Lucii on his middle finger did not escape your notice. At the same time, you noticed from a corner of your eyes that Ravus was gazing more or less in the same direction as you did. You couldn't help but wonder what he was feeling then, seeing the object that had burned off his arm in Noctis' possession. By the time you turned to take a more proper look on the former High Commander, he was in the process of withdrawing his sword.

You gasped and reached to the hilt of your dagger, but Ignis raised his hand to stop you. Ravus barely acknowledged your actions, instead fixing all of his attention on Noctis as he took steps forward. Then, with a swift and graceful move, he placed the sword on his open palms and presented it to the young king.

"This sword belonged to your father," declared Ravus. "I held it for safekeeping, but I see that the Ring has determined that you are indeed worthy of its possession."

Noctis stared down at the sword in silence. Then he nodded quietly and took the sword from its hilt. "Thank you very much, Ravus."

Noctis seemed to want to say something more to Ravus, but Gladio interrupted with, "We should move on. The Crystal's nowhere to be found, and we also still need to figure out how to transport it."

"Then I shall be guarding the hangar." Ravus briskly turned around. "It is imperative that we keep our only way out of this place safe and open."

He stopped to glance over one shoulder. "But make no mistake: if things do get dangerous, I will not hesitate to depart without you."

"And we shall demand no more from your generosity, Commander," countered Ignis firmly.

Ravus hummed in what you could imagine as an approval before heading off.

"So, Leonis." Ignis clasped both hands on his cane and tilted his head in your direction - a gesture that reminded you of a disappointed, yet still attentive parent. "Would you mind telling us how you ended up traversing the biggest magitek laboratory with an exiled Imperial Commander?"

You let out a tired sigh. "I'll tell you guys on the way."

* * *

You spent the next hour or so filling in the others of your misadventure. In exchange, the others filled you in on what you didn't already know: that the name of the compound you're in was actually Zegnautus Keep, and that it was actually a state-of-the-art floating laboratory of Niflheim. Or that something called a jammer device must have been responsible for the constant stasis that both you and Noctis experienced.

There were, of course, questions about where you had been right after you jumped off the train. You glanced at Prompto before answering, and concluding from his avoidant gaze that the other three had no clue about his ancestry... yet. So you omitted parts of your story accordingly.

You couldn't help but feel bad for Prompto afterwards. However, you couldn't simply talk privately to him and figure out how he was doing, as the five of you had to keep on moving to avoid daemons ambush.

After a while, you found yourself and the rest or the royal retinue standing before a big steel gate that looked sturdy enough to withstand any attempt to break through. Perhaps even magic.

"There must be a keycard that can open this gate somehow," offered Ignis.

"Great. More keycards…" Gladio massaged his throbbing temple before turning to Noctis. "Are you really sure the Crystal's on the other side of this door?"

Noctis shrugged. "I mean, I don't know for sure. But I can _feel_ something in this direction, yeah."

You thought of contributing to the discussion, but then you saw Prompto quietly step forward and scan his barcode at the interface next to the gate. The gate opened slowly, and soon enough it wasn't only you who was staring speechless at the blond gunman.

"So, MTs… they got the same barcode print as I do," Prompto began.

"Really?" Noctis replied, and you looked warily at him. "I never looked."

"Yeah, so…" Prompto's blue eyes briefly went to you before they looked at Noctis'. "... As it turns out, I am one of them."

There was more silence. Prompto let out a shaky breath. "I know it isn't cool that… I don't actually come from Lucis. But at the same time, you guys are the only friends I have ever known, so… I hope everything can stay the way they are."

"Of course, Prompto. We are all here for the same reason, after all." You were the first to react.

Ignis chimed in, "Indeed. I do not see you betraying us. Either now, or ever."

"Yeah. And since when do you even care about where you come from?" Noctis added. "You never once treated me as a prince."

Gladio chuckled. "He's got a point, there."

Everyone laughed, and you saw how Prompto awkwardly tried to join in. Before long, you stepped forward, grabbed both his and Ignis' upper arms, then dragged them both forward. "Well, come on now. We've got a Crystal to steal back!"

Noctis snickered and followed after you. "Yeah… let's go together, guys."

* * *

After having run around the empty, daemons-infested hallways and offices for several hours, it was easy for you to forget that ordinary people used to work there. The so-called state-of-the-art Magitek laboratory still had to be run by humans, after all. But this simple fact completely missed you when you ran into a room with bunk beds, rendering you confused and in a state of disbelief. The fatigue that followed right after, however, turned that into relief rather quickly.

Then, when you actually lied down and tried to sleep, you found yourself unable to fall asleep. There were simply too many thoughts running wild in your head: the death of Verrum was one, and then there was also the dream that you had while you were in the cell. Would the visions that the Founder King showed you really happen if Noctis was alive? Or was it just a trick so you could fulfill his wish?

After a while, you sighed in defeat, then got out of your bunk bed and padded silently to the door. Part of you had hoped to see Gladio standing watch by the door. It would be awkward, perhaps, but you were hopeful that he would listen to your concerns seriously as the Shield of the King.

But instead, you ran into Noctis as he was sitting on an office chair, staring at his hand. The sword given by Ravus stood leaning against his leg. When you approached, he turned to you with an abrupt pace of someone getting caught doing something they weren't supposed to.

"Hey… it's just me." You tried to wave your wave as nonchalantly and non-threateningly as possible. Then you moved to sit on a desk next to him. "Can't sleep?"

Noctis shook his head. "No… I guess I'm not as tired as I thought."

You raised an eyebrow. "That's odd, considering you just spent hours in constant stasis and being chased around by daemons and MTs."

"Hey, speak for yourself, alright?"

The two of you chuckled, then you fell into silence for a moment. Inadvertently, your eyes went towards the sword by Noctis' leg, then the ring in his middle finger.

"Looks like you almost got everything for a coronation, huh?" you teased. Then, with a more serious tone, "How do you feel about… the entire thing?"

"I feel… unprepared." Noctis said, with an intermittent pregnant pause. "Like I'm set up for failing a big responsibility that I am supposed to take."

Noctis then sighed. "I wish my dad was here, and I could ask him… things."

Out of sympathy, you placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know how that feels. When I had to bring Luna and the Ring out of Insomnia, there were days when I thought I wasn't equipped to do it."

You wanted to say that you still felt like that, too. That you felt ill-equipped to protect him from a certain death that may or may not be for the good of the world. But you decided in the end not to say it out loud.

"... And yet you did it, huh?" His dark blue eyes looked at you with a spark of awe. "You're really amazing, Leonis."

"Well, thank you, but the punchline here is supposed to be that if I can make it, then you should be, too," you countered. "You are prepared for this, Noct. Maybe you don't know you have it in you, but we do. And we are all here for you - always. You do know that, don't you?"

You kept your gaze on Noctis for the entire time you said the speech. In the end, he smiled, nodded, and took your hand from his shoulder into his own.

"You really are a true Kingsglaive, aren't you?" he said next. "Thank you for being here, and fighting along with me. It's an honor."

"The honor is mine, Noct." You tightened your grip slightly on his hand as warmth began to bubble inside your chest. "And I swear I will protect you no matter what. Even if it costs me my life."

Noctis stared at you before chuckling sheepishly and withdrawing his hand from yours. Then, after a moment's silent, he replied, "That makes me very happy... but please don't promise away your life so easily like that. There are people who will get hurt."

You blinked. "What do you mean?"

Noctis sighed and shook his head. "Nothing... please forget it. It's... between you and Gladio, after all." He then stood up, took his father's sword, and wandered back into the room. "Well, anyway… thanks for the talk. I think I'm feeling slightly less anxious now. Maybe I can finally fall asleep."

You flashed him a smile, all the while holding yourself back from asking anything about Gladio. "Anytime, Noct. Good night."

"Good night."

* * *

The control board that was connected to the jammer device looked like any other electric parts of the compound. If Noctis and the others hadn't told you that it was controlling the ominously glowing red device hanging in the throne room, you wouldn't have known any better.

But despite the underwhelming revelation, the effect of turning off the jammer was quite immediate and dramatic. Specifically, you noticed how glad Noctis' expression looked when he finally could dismiss his father's sword into the Armiger.

"Oh, man… that feels so good," he sighed. "I hope I don't have to carry a weapon around for hours like that ever again."

"You should subscribe to Crownsguard's first year training once we are all back in Insomnia, Noct," suggested Gladio. "It could be a good exercise after our morning run."

"That is a wonderful idea, Gladio." Ignis chimed in. "I'll see if I can arrange the paperworks."

"Err, no thanks…"

On the other side of the room, you heard Prompto exclaiming after summoning his favorite gun from the Armiger, "Oh, yesss!! Welcome back to papa."

You chuckled before approaching the blond and tapping him on his shoulder. "Good to see you so energetic again."

Prompto laughed dryly. "Oh yeah. Not even bondage and prolonged isolation can break my spirit, baby."

"Yeah… wow. That turned dark quickly."

"Uh, yeah. It really did, didn't it?"

The silence that stretched for a few seconds afterwards was awkward enough for the blond gunman to scratch at the back of his head anxiously.

"Well. Anyway," he said. "I can see your hunky boyfriend's approaching. Er, ex-boyfriend, I mean. I better leave you two alone."

You widened your eyes in disbelief and betrayal, but Prompto already jogged on ahead to where Noctis and Ignis were. Gladio took his place next to you and you threw him a small smile. "If you happen to hear what he said: sorry."

Gladio just shrugged. "Eh, it's not like he talked bad about me behind my back."

"Yeah… I guess." Your voice trailed a bit. "I'm sorry, too, for making you worry. Noctis told me."

He didn't immediately respond. Then he flashed you a smile and tapped on your shoulder lightly. "Let's talk more after we get out of this place. Deal?"

"... Alright."

You couldn't shake the feeling that you had said something wrong. Nevertheless, you decided to let it go and not push the topic further. The last thing you wanted to do was to upset Gladio more than you already did.

So you turned your attention to Ignis, just in time to see him suddenly stop walking and stand up straight. "Hold on, everyone. Did you hear that?"

You, Gladio, Prompto, and Noctis searched around, but saw nothing. Then, suddenly, black miasma started appearing in every corner of the room. And as if the sudden emergence of at least half a dozen daemons was not enough, a big one with wings like a bat's came crashing down from a nearby air ventilation.

"Thieves… cannot escape… the hand of justice…," said the winged daemon. "The Crystal is mine. Never shall I loose my grip! The Crystal… the light… the power... All of it... Mine!"

Ignis gasped. "Might that be… the Emperor?"

"Damn. He got one bad case of bed head," Prompto quipped shortly before the daemon lunged forward.

You cursed under your breath before summoning your daggers. "Noct! Watch out!"

You cast a protective wall just in time before the winged daemon struck down at Noctis. At the same time, Gladio slashed aside with his humongous sword, sending the daemon flying back. Behind you, Prompto began shooting at the other daemons that were closing in while Ignis swept them away with his spear.

"There are more of them coming!!" warned Prompto.

You cursed again before casting fireballs on the smaller daemons, hoping to at least make an opening. "Noct, over here!"

"Go on ahead without us, Noct, Leonis." Ignis' advice followed shortly after, "If you manage to get to the Crystal and absorb its powers, we may yet have a chance to prevail."

"Yeah," grunted Gladio. "Don't worry about us!"

"We'll handle. Things. Over. Here!" Prompto added, each syllables that he said punctuated by a shot of his machinery gun.

Noctis gritted his teeth as he was blocking yet another hard attack from the daemon. "Alright, we'll be back soon!"

You saw Noctis toss his sword away and followed after him, eventually reappearing several hundreds of meters away among scattering blue lights. When you were about to proceed, you noticed that Noctis had turned back, his gaze directed at a battle that the two of you left behind.

You would be lying to say that you weren't tempted to do the same. But if you turned now and saw how much the others struggle to keep the daemonified Emperor away from your tails, you couldn't guarantee that you would simply warp back. So instead, you tapped lightly on Noctis' shoulder and muttered, "Let's go?"

A nod was all the answer that you got before you found yourself walking shoulder to shoulder with a king, resolute and determined to take back what had belonged to your people.

And you never felt so proud to have put your duty above everything else, before or after that moment.


	19. Destinies and Prophecies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There is NO WAY Noctis will die!" You marched down the walkway, summoning your daggers all the while. "Not if I kill you - right here and now!!"
> 
> Ardyn laughed darkly. "Darling, that is not how this game works. But you are always welcome to try."

"... Do you think it's really true?" Noctis asked at one point as you reached deeper into the center of the compound.

"What is true, Noct?" you asked warily.

"What Ignis said about the daemon being the Emperor," he resumed. "So all daemons used to be... humans?"

You didn't answer Noctis immediately. On one side, you knew the answer - already had known since Gentiana appeared to you at the Disc of Cauthess. But on the other side, you also knew that Noctis must have been quite shaken. Daemons were monsters. They emerged from the darkness and were to be killed before they could kill you. There was never any doubt that they could possibly have been living and breathing human beings.

As mulled over the best way to answer his question, however, a static crackle followed with a feedback sting averted your attentions. Not long after, you heard a familiar someone clearing his throat.

"Leaving your dear friends to the wolves, I see?" The voice of Ardyn Izunia, the Chancellor of Niflheim, boomed across the hallway. "Isn't that quite selfish? What kind of monarch leave their loyal retainers in trouble while they flee for their own safety?"

"Shut up, Ardyn," you quipped, not once slowing down your run. "I know you turned the Emperor into a daemon and sent him to distract us. So stop being coy."

"What an accusation!" Ardyn gasped and exclaimed, though you could somehow sense that he was smirking. "But I must say, it is quite fun to play coy with you, my dear Glaive."

"Hey!" Noctis joined in, his voice sounding irritated. "Tell us where the Crystal is."

"Why, the Crystal is just ahead of you, Your Majesty," replied Ardyn. "You will reach a grand elevator at the end of this hallway. Take it all the way to the top, and there you will find it. All ready for you to claim."

"And how do we know we can trust you?" you retorted.

"You don't," answered Ardyn ominously. "But like I told you before: you have no other choice."

Ardyn was gone shortly afterwards, and you let out a sigh. At the same time, Noctis pointed at somewhere ahead of you. "Hey… is that the elevator?"

"Looks like it," you concluded.

"So, what's the verdict?"

"I hate to say it, but I guess we really don't have much choice in this case..." You sighed. "But what I know is this: you can _never_ be too careful when it comes to the Imperial Chancellor."

"Sounds about right," Noctis concluded before smashing the elevator's button with the blunt end of his ancestor's greatsword. "Alright. Eyes peeled, arms ready. We can do this."

* * *

The elevator brought you up several floors and then opened up before a long steel walkway. Noctis and you walked ahead until you reached a glowing blue rock bounded by literal chains.

"Is that…?"

"... The Crystal?"

You weren't really sure who it was that started and ended the question. Both you and Noctis walked as if tranced, watching the light of the Crystal dance like a thousand different-colored lights. It was even more beautiful than the lights of the meteor.

"With this... we can go home again," muttered Noctis.

You turned to Noctis, just in time to see the ring on his middle finger shone with a bright light. The light of the Crystal throbbed, and when Noctis raised his hand, both the Ring of Lucii and the Crystal seemed to shine even brighter.

"Back to Insomnia... and with Luna..."

When Noctis took steps forward, you could easily imagine him seeing a different scenery in his own mind's eyes than a chunk of illuminating rock. Then, he placed his palm on the surface of the Crystal.

And it exploded into a bright, white light.

You closed your eyes, arms bracing protectively in front of your face. It was only then that you had an inkling that something very, very bad was happening - and you weren't wrong. When you were trying to open your eyes again, you saw that half of Noctis' side was being swallowed up into the Crystal.

"Noctis!!"

You leaped forward and reached for Noctis' outstretched hand. You pulled and tugged, but it was to no avail. The Crystal was slowly but surely absorbing him. Panic began to flood your senses.

"Leonis..." Noctis looked at you, his eyes glazed and fearful. "What's happening? The Crystal is..."

You cursed and yelled and pulled, but it made no difference. Noctis was even more rapidly getting sucked into the Crystal, with only a part of his face and his arm remaining outside. At one point, you placed your palm against the surface of the Crystal, searching for leverage. In an instance, a strong, powerful force surged out of it and knocked you back, sending you flying and landing face down on the steel walkway.

You could hardly notice the pain, though. All that you could think of was the way Noctis had looked so desperate and _scared_. And how you had ultimately and incorrigibly failed to protect him.

That was, until you heard footsteps approaching. Each one of them a careful, calculated placement upon the steel surface of the walkway to take the most out of your attention.

"A fine coronation of the True King that will sacrifice himself for us all," remarked Ardyn. "I had _so_ wanted to reveal my real name to His Majesty before the Crystal swallowed him whole, but alas, seeing you being so desperate was much more... entertaining."

You got to your feet and, without a warning, called forth a fireball to throw in the direction of Ardyn. He simply summoned his weapons to protect himself against the blast. The red translucent swords revolved around the Chancellor in a defensive dance as he smirked at you, inviting anger to bubble up from the depth of your chest.

"There is NO WAY Noctis will die!" You marched down the walkway, summoning your daggers all the while. "Not if I kill you - right here and now!!"

Ardyn laughed darkly. "Darling, that is not how this game works. But you are always welcome to try."

He flicked his wrists and the weapons turned to point in your direction. When he moved his fingers next, they all lunged forward. You dashed ahead, one hand moving to toss the kukri, then all you saw was a blur of white and blue light. By the time you reappeared again behind the lurching weapons, the first thing that you saw was an axe swinging down at you.

"Leonis, watch out!"

Prompto's warning came just after his bullets clashed against the axe's blade. Ignis' knife followed shortly after, right before your sight was obstructed by a large steel shield that landed in front of you almost as if from nowhere.

"Gladio…"

You took a step back, and just as expected ran into the sturdy chest of the King's Shield. At the same time, Gladio slipped one arm around your waist protectively, whispering, "Everything alright, Lioness?"

To say that you were surprised would be an understatement. In your panic and rage, you had charged ahead without remembering that there were three other wonderful retainers that were coming after you and Noctis.

"Yeah...," you replied, gazing ahead to prevent the Shield from seeing your welling tears. "I am so, so sorry. Noctis is..."

"Don't worry. We'll deal with it later," replied Gladio. "Now, it's time to focus! Enemy's ahead of us."

You nodded, wiped away your tears with your forearm, and then readied your weapons. "Ready when you are, Gladio!"

Gladio lifted his shield, and you lunged forward into a chain of warp strikes, slashing once, twice, and then thrice down at Ardyn. He deflected most of your attacks using his floating swords, and he had just pulled one of them in his hand when Gladio rushed forward with his own gigantic blade, eventually managing to shove the Imperial Chancellor back.

"Prompto! Make us an opening!" Gladio shouted.

"Yes, coming right up!"

Prompto made a run towards Gladio, who knelt, then leaped high enough for his foot to step on the Shield's strong shoulder. Gladio then stood up, giving Prompto the needed momentum to jump up high into the air. While he was airborne, Prompto reached up with both hands and summoned a machine gun, which he promptly fired at the Chancellor.

Ardyn chuckled behind the perfect cover of his thirteen royal arms before shouting, "Is this really all you can do, Besithia's son?"

"Stop calling me that!"

While Ardyn and Prompto were bantering, you ran the entire length of the walkway with Ignis before shouting, "Now, Ignis!!"

The next seconds saw you and Ignis sliding on your knees. Both of you held a knife and slashed sideways as you passed below Ardyn's royal arms. The Chancellor dropped to his knee with a pained grunt. Then you took the opportunity to turn completely around, and stabbed him in his back with both of your daggers. In an instance, the translucent weapons that rotated all around him burst into small fragments of red crystals.

"Ooh… we are resorting to backstab now, aren't we?" He turned to you over one shoulder, and you witnessed the blood that trickling from the edge of his smirk turn black. "How foreshadowing, Lioness."

You pulled away and kicked at Ardyn for good measure, all before standing upright on your feet. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Ardyn started chuckling, at first, and then the chuckles turned into laughter. At the same time, dark miasma began to appear and grew all around him. You gasped and pushed Ignis back, vaguely noticing that Gladio was also doing a similar thing with Prompto.

Slowly, Ardyn limped up to his feet. The black miasma swirled around his legs and up around his torso. You and the other retainers raised your weapons, but Ardyn made no move that could be considered offensive. Then, he abruptly stretched both of his arms wide.

"Lady and gentlemen. Let me reveal to you, for the first time in 2000 years: the secret prophecy," he announced. "We all know, of course, the main prophecy: the world will be shrouded in darkness, and the King of Kings will return to sacrifice himself to bring light back to the world. But in the unfortunate case that he refuses, what shall happen?"

You gritted your teeth. "We are _not_ falling for your trick again, Ardyn."

Ardyn seemingly ignored your warning as he turned around, one hand pressing at the spot on his belly where your dagger had stabbed through. "Why, my dear, since you so insist… then I shall tell you the answer myself."

He took a step closer in your direction, and you subconsciously took a step back. Black miasma began to spew all around his feet and crawl at everything in its way. And when you looked into Ardyn's eyes, you noticed that they were black with dripping tar.

"In the event that the True King fails to perform his divine duties, then the Glaive of Kings will come to assist him - by sacrificing the King in the name of Eos," Ardyn announced, his voice resounding loud and clear in the spacious room.

"And that Glaive, my dear…

"Is none other than _you_."

You felt as if all blood had drained away from your body, before it was shortly replaced by bubbling anger.

"... No!!"

You were barely lifting your dagger when Ardyn raised his bloodied hand and fired a blast of black-purple ray your way. The last thing that you could remember feeling was the force of impact on your back when it hit the hard steel surface of the elevator door.

And then everything was pitch black.


	20. Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Perhaps it would be wise to learn to accept your fate, too, Glaive of Kings."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song suggestion for this last chapter: [Back to Your Love](https://youtu.be/-IC74od5eZw) by Night Riots.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this fic up to this point ❤ And for those who left kudos and/or comments - thank you also so much. Knowing that someone else enjoyed this little writing project of mine made me really happy.

When you opened your eyes, you found yourself submerged under clear blue water - and you were descending fast. Yet, it didn't scare you, somehow. If anything, you actually felt comfortable. As the current dragged you to the deep ends, you felt tempted to close your eyes again and fall asleep.

Suddenly, you felt something tug at your wrist. You glanced up and saw that a slim, fair-skinned hand was pulling you upstream. When you looked up, you found two bluest eyes stare right back at you.

"Luna?" You called out. Then you saw the figure smile sweetly.

"Hmm, good attempt. But no."

"... Leviathan?" you gasped before spreading your gaze around. "Where are we? Am I… dead?"

She sighed. "No, silly. That is the exact thing that I'm trying to prevent."

"Oh."

You were quiet for a moment. Then, slowly but surely, you started remembering what had actually happened before you got here. You were in Gralea with Noctis and the other retainers, but then Noctis managed to reach the Crystal, and then…

You bit at your lower lip as your mind immediately screamed _failure_.

"What happened to Noctis?" you asked next. "Is he still alive?"

"The King of Kings lives," answered the Hydraean. "He is sleeping now inside the Crystal, absorbing its powers and learning of his fate."

"No…" If you had been standing on a firmer ground, you would have probably dropped down on your knees. "Ardyn… he's not… actually dead, is he?"

The goddess shook her head. "He has been made immortal by the Starscourge. Only the True King can truly kill him." Leviathan then caressed your cheek with the back of her hand. "Perhaps it would be wise to learn to accept your fate, too, Glaive of Kings."

You closed your eyes and felt it welling with tears. There were more things you wanted to ask, but when you opened your eyes again, the Hydraean was nowhere to be found.

And you were no longer under the water. Instead, you were lying in a bed and staring at the ceiling with chipped paint. Somewhere on your left, you heard someone ask with a clipped, vaguely Tenebraen accent, "Leonis? Are you awake?"

You turned your head slowly and saw Ignis sitting down next to your bed. When you opened your mouth next, it felt as dry as sandpaper. "Where are we?"

"We're in a rented house in Lestallum," he replied. "We flew out here from Altissia two weeks ago, and you have been unconscious ever since - until now."

You cursed, finally noticing the aches and pains on different parts of your body. After taking a long breath, you turned your attention back to Ignis, "I take it Ravus flew us out of Gralea and dropped us here?"

Ignis shook his head. "Not exactly. We originally arrived in Altissia from Gralea. However, the pandemic soon spread to Accordo, and due to your... compromised health, we decided to sail back to Lucis."

You furrowed your brows. "What pandemic?"

"The Scourge infection cases… have increased exponentially since our departure from Altissia." Ignis paused to push his tinted glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Niflheim had it worse in the beginning, but there is no place in the whole world that isn't impacted by it now. And not to mention the length of days and the number of daemons…"

You closed your eyes and rested your head deeper into the pillow. "So to sum it all up, the world is ending?"

Ignis was quiet for a moment before responding with, "It would appear so to many people, yes."

Both of you fell into silence. Thoughts of Noctis swirled in your mind, and you suspected it was the same case with Ignis, too. And the hesitance, too, was the same, thick and gripping in the space that you shared.

"Can you promise me one thing, Ignis?" you eventually asked. "When the time comes when I'm expected to kill Noctis… will you make sure that it will never happen, no matter what?"

You heard Ignis inhaling and then exhaling a long breath. When you reopened your eyes and focused your attention on him, you noticed that his unseeing eyes were not directed at you.

"Don't worry," he said finally. "I will not hesitate to kill you if I have to."

You held a breath in before letting it go in resignation. At the same time, Ignis resumed with, "... At the very least, that is what I will hypothetically say if Gladio doesn't kill me first."

You chuckled darkly. "That's not true. He will never kill you because of me. You guys go a long way back."

Ignis reached out to your hand and answered simply, "I believe you are severely underestimating how much he cares about you, Leonis."

Silence fell between you. Then, in your feeble attempt to change the topic, you thought out loud, "How twisted the gods are, pitting us against each other like this…"

"Perhaps they are. But perhaps not all of Their plans will work out successfully," replied Ignis. "After all, as you said, sometimes pre-divined deaths don't necessarily have to go through."

"Ignis…"

Before you could say another word, someone else had opened the door and slipped in. From seeing the shadow cast by the person on the wall, you already knew who it was.

When Gladio saw you, his expression looked surprised. Then, after a moment, he gathered himself and turned to address Ignis, "Alright, Iggy. You should get some rest and let me take over."

"Of course."

Ignis gave a gentle squeeze to your hand before getting up. The tip of his cane made clicking sounds against the floor as he headed for the door.

* * *

Something was not quite right. You knew it the moment you saw Gladio's serious and somber expression.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like a behemoth just trampled me over." You offered a small smile. Regardless of what had happened, it would be a lie to say that you weren't happy to see the Shield. "And you?"

Whatever remnants of smile disappeared from Gladio's expression then. In its place, a grimace surfaced. He sat down on the chair that Ignis was sitting on earlier and placed both of his palms on his knees, like a warrior awaiting his sentence.

"There's something that I need to tell you," he said. And all of a sudden, it dawned on you that perhaps _you_ were the one being handed a sentence instead.

Gladio started his story in Gralea, right after Ardyn threw his last punch. How difficult it was to stop your bleeding, let alone keep you conscious. Even after using bottles of healing potion. If it wasn't for Ravus defending the fastest airship in the hangar of Zegnautus Keep, it would have been impossible to reach Altissia before it was too late.

Gladio's amber eyes glanced warily at you before he continued, "We asked Lady Lunafreya to heal you, and she tried. However, she noticed… something."

You held your breath, but said nothing, preferring instead to hear the rest of his story. Gladio sighed. "So we took you to the hospital in Altissia, let them run some tests. It turns out that… after the Chancellor attacked you back in Gralea… you actually almost miscarried."

"... What?"

The question came out of your mouth before you even willed yourself to say it out loud. Gladio's gaze on you was hard, while his lips pressed into a straight line.

"The doctor said that you're well into the end of your first trimester," he resumed next. "So at the very least, if you recover from this… the baby could probably make it safely to the rest of the term."

You closed your eyes, praying for everything that you just heard to be coming from a dream. To your disappointment - and grief - it wasn't. You knew this because when you opened your eyes again, Gladio was still staring at you with the same steely expression.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was even and calm, but you knew it hid the anger that was simmering underneath the surface.

And by gods, it _hurt_ to hear it coming from him.

"Why would I lie to you about being pregnant?" you asked back sharply. "Did you ever stop to ask that to yourself? Or is your manly pride big enough to occupy most of your brain?"

Gladio chuckled grimly, then shook his head. "How would I know? You were the one who jumped off a train without seemingly any regards for your own safety."

"Well, if you trust me so little in the first place, why even bother going through all of that trouble to keep me alive??"

Gladio said nothing in reply. He didn't even look you in the eyes anymore. At one point, he stood up and made his way back to the door. His movement was quiet except for the loud bang that resounded when he slammed the door closed behind him.

* * *

When you reflected back on your conversation with Gladio much later, you couldn't help but wonder how it could have gone if you had handled it differently. There were so many questions you could have asked, so many more ways you could have approached the topic without saying such hurtful things.

You let out a sigh and let yourself feel the air leaving your body. Part of you wished that the breath could carry your regrets and uncertainties, far away from inside your hectic mind.

How could you still fulfill your duties in your current condition?

Would it really be wise to bring the pregnancy to term, or terminate it while you still could?

The last question weighed especially heavy in your mind. You could still remember what Crowe told you back in Altissia - how Nyx had always wanted to have children. And the fact that such a wish could survive him, against all obstacles, was oddly touching.

And to think that you could finally let go and accept his death…

But of course, there was always a chance that the baby belonged to Gladio. A very small one, but it was there. And you had not wanted to let your thoughts stray that way for too long, fearing that you'd spiral down without any hope of ever coming back.

So you tried to think of something else. The next step you should take in your duty, for example. Except apparently, your new duty involved slaying the very king that you had sworn to protect with your life.

You sighed yet again, and let your face sink into the palm of your hands in defeat.

Not a moment later, you heard Gladio first before you actually saw him approaching. After all the hours that you spent sparring against each other in Altissia, it had become a second nature. Neither of you said a word until he sat down next to you, on an old steel bench that looked out to the wilderness of Duscae and the meteor.

"There's a pandemic going on, you know," he began. "You're not supposed to be out and about in the city like this."

You opened your eyes and slowly lowered your hands. "Is that why the streets are so empty?"

"Yeah, everyone's hunkering down in their own houses right now, fearing the Scourge and the daemons."

Silence fell between the two of you. In that moment, it really felt like the two of you were the only people in the entire Lestallum, staring out at the end of the world.

"What a world to raise a child in, huh?" you eventually said.

Gladio hummed. "I think raising a child is always tough, no matter what."

"Does that mean you don't want one?"

You could feel Gladio's eyes on you, but he said nothing in the beginning. "That's not what I said."

You turned to him, and after a full moment of locking gazes, you let out a sigh. "... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have screamed at you."

"'s alright," he replied with a subtle smile. "You know I can handle it."

You returned his smile briefly, then dropped it again when the memory of what happened in Gralea resurfaced once again.

"I have failed my duties, haven't I?"

Gladio's sigh was audible. "Why are you saying that?"

"Well… when the Crystal took Noctis away, I couldn't do anything to stop it. And when he returns, I will have to…"

You couldn't even finish your sentence without feeling a lump forming inside your throat. Gladio noticed this, and then shifted on the bench, his arms engulfing you into a wordless embrace. It took you a moment to reciprocate the gesture, but once you did, you were clinging to him as if it was for your life.

Perhaps, in a way, it really was.

"You don't have to do everything alone, you know." Gladio told you. His tone was gentle and barely louder than a whisper. "I can help you raise the child. Hell, I can also become a Glaive. That way, you won't be the only one who will need to deal with the prophecy."

You shook your head. "No… they're my burdens to carry. I don't want to drag anyone else into it."

"Well, you really don't get it, do you?"

Gladio retreated from the embrace and held you tight on your upper arms, leaving you with no other choice but to look straight into his eyes. "I guess I'll have to say it out loud this time: I'm not suggesting you put the burden on someone else. I actually want to share it with you. Make it a bit less unbearable."

You were speechless for a whole five seconds. Gladio's eyes were crystal clear as he looked at you with more determination than anyone else you had ever seen in your life.

Then, Gladio called out your first name and gently took your hand in his. "Will you marry me?"

More silence stretched out - although the sound of your heart beating against your eardrums could almost betray that. "... You're crazy," you eventually managed to say.

"No. The _world_ is crazy," he retorted. "Ever since we left Hennef, I realized just how much you mean to me. And I know that if I keep on waiting, if I don't do anything before it's too late… I might as well turn crazy with regrets."

"Gladio…" You looked at his face and could almost feel physical pain. "Remember what I told you? There are only so many vows that-"

"Well, fuck all of that, alright?!" Gladio shouted. Then, realizing his mistake, he pulled back, eventually dropping his eyes down and shaking his head.

"I know who I am. Ever since I could remember, I know that it is my duty to live and die as the Shield of King." He eventually looked up, his voice was low but clear enough for you to hear. "And I want you in my life, too. With all the good and the bad, the duties and the responsibilities. I know who I am enough to know that I want to be with _you_ through all of this - and no one else."

Gladio paused to reach gently for your hand again. His amber eyes were cast down, though you could still see his gaze peeking at you from under his eyelashes. "But the more important question is… what is it that you really want?"

You opened your mouth, but no word came out. What answer were you supposed to give to that kind of question? What you really wanted was not important, you wanted to say. Not in the grand scheme of things, where kingdoms could collapse in a single night and gods determined who got to continue on living and who should be sacrificed.

But, oh, how much you wanted all that to _change._ To smash through the confines of fate and prophecies and forge a new path where you could see everyone that you love be happy.

That was what you really wanted. And here was the man who you had both longed for and pushed away, all in the name of duties. Telling you that he wanted to devote himself in sharing the burdens of those very duties that had been placed unceremoniously upon your shoulders.

Instead of answering his question, you ended up doing the first thing that crossed your mind, which was to lean in for a kiss - all sloppy and teary. Yet, to your astonishment, Gladio kissed you back just as enthusiastically. His arms found their way around your torso and pulled you into a tight hug as your kisses deepened.

At some point, both of you pulled back to take in some much needed breath. Gladio rested his forehead on yours before whispering, "So… what do you say?"

"Yes, of course," you replied, this time without missing a heart beat. "I love you, Gladio."

The words slipped out of your lips so easily, and you had thought at first that you would regret it. But then you saw a silent, wide grin grow on Gladio's expression, and you leaned back in with a warm feeling growing inside your chest.

As your kiss deepened, you were hopeful enough to think that you'd remember every detail of this exact moment, at the edge of the world's end, for a long time.

His eager, but careful kisses.

His strong hand on the small of your back.

And his voice whispering, "I love you, too."

The future may be dark and shrouded in Starscourge. But at the very least, you knew that you would not face it all alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, yes, I know, some of you thought that this would be the end of this series, but... surprise! I am so sorry this is not the ultimate final chapter that you've been expecting 🙈 but I'm also scared of spoiling the story so...
> 
> The final fic itself has been outlined so far. Now the only thing left for me to do is write them all down... which might take months, so I apologize in advance for the wait.
> 
> Don't forget to subscribe to my pseud if you're interested in being notified for the next fic when I do post it. I will also post updates of it on my [Tumblr](https://rolerei.tumblr.com), among other things, so feel free to follow or get in touch with me there!


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